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Jurgen Klopp has channelled his adopted Scouse status to send an early message to Manchester City after Friday’s Champions League draw.
Liverpool will host the Premier League leaders at Anfield in the first leg early in April before travelling to the Etihad just under a week later.
The Reds’ boss has revealed he received a message from City star and former Borussia Dortmund colleague Ilkay Gundogan shortly after the announcement.
“The message came immediately to be honest. Bis bald pretty much means, ‘see you soon’ and I used a Scouse phrase ‘see ya’,” Klopp told the Liverpool Echo.
Unusually subtle from the German.
🏆 We’ve been drawn against @ManCity in the #UCL quarter-final. 🏆 #UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/KPEopemsPD
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 16, 2018
The draw didn’t quite pluck the opponents Liverpool fans were ideally hoping for, not over fear of playing City but perhaps over a desire to see the team tested abroad.
That said, it does flaunt the makings of becoming the undisputed tie of the round as two all-out attacking forces go toe-to-toe much like in the Reds’ 4-3 triumph back in January.
It’s in neither side’s nature to adopt a defensive approach in light of the away goal system over two legs, leaving it as one of the most difficult quarter-final contests to predict with any confidence.
The two legs interestingly sandwich City’s trip to face Manchester City at Old Trafford, where they could win the title depending on their results leading up to the game, and Liverpool’s visit to Goodison Park for the Merseyside derby.