Liverpool-Manchester City on Sunday 10 November the greatest challenge in England, indeed in Europe, indeed in the world. No one in this historical phase, better than the Reds and the Citizens and the reasons are quite clear. One: they are champions of Europe and champions of England respectively, more can not be done. Two: they command, divided by 6 points (Liverpool 31, Man City 25), the most complicated league of all, with more high level teams, the famous big six. Three: the game could already decide the tournament, because if Liverpool went to more than 9, you want to say that the road is still long … Four: in addition to the great players (on the Reds side with the trident Salah-Firmino-Man, goalkeeper Alisson and defender Van Dijk to that Citizens with De Bruyne, Aguero, Mahrez, Sterling, Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus etc.), on the benches there are Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, currently the best technicians; their game systems, different but with some philosophical points of contact, are definitely the most captivating on the square. Five: the other great European rivals are at the moment lower, you want because in an involutionary phase (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Monaco, Tottenham, Manchester United), you want because in technical transition (Juventus, which could potentially reach them soon), do you want because it is always unfinished (the Psg, eternal failure outside France).
To confirm this thesis, Pep Guardiola spoke clearly: Klopp (who beat him 8 times in his career, ed) has the best team in the world in his hands, Liverpool last season was my best rival ever since I started training. Last year the City won the championship by just one point over Liverpool, on the final day, and yet in the Champions League it came out in the quarterfinals with Tottenham, then finalist. The technician on Friday added: For me Guardiola the best coach in the world. Wherever he went he had a decisive impact on his team. In short, it is played in England, but facing the world.
But then how to play, exactly? Very well, of course. But how well? Somehow, despite being the antipodes as a vision and as an approach to football, as if the two technicians were constantly observing and absorbing something from each other. Guardiola, who has definitely overtaken the Barcelona-style tiki taka by completing the process started at Bayern Munich, now does not disdain vertical play, game changes, goalkeeper launches directly on the toes, to make the City the Premier team that is more cross. On the other hand, Klopp has refined with a certain technical-tactical melody the heavy metal football of the times of Borussia Dortmund: his play of position now includes less systematic verticality and more short passage solutions, fluidity of roles, high and wide backs and a false nine (ancient prerogative of the guardiolismo) as the fundamental Firmino. Imprinting remains different (Do people want to see us play like Manchester City? We can't do it and then why should we? – Klopp said one day – We play our kind of football, we have our style that is good and beautiful), but from the cultural point of view the ability to adapt one's style to the available technical heritage makes Klopp and Guardiola much more similar than one might think. Both versatile. Both are smart, even better than good.
This is a fresh rivalry and opinions about its nature diverge. already strong or not? Paul Wilson, on Guardian, explained why not: Klopp and Guardiola seem to love each other. The mutual admiration is more credible than their mind games and the same is true for fans. Between them there is not a story of resentment or animosity. The common dislike of Manchester United is clearer. The story says that in April 2018, before the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals in Liverpool (3-0 for the Reds, who then went on to win away 2-1), the City bus was attacked by a sassaiola: on the subject the two technicians returned on Friday hoping of course that will never happen again. Perhaps, then, so soft the rivalry does not …
What remains is that the game already looks like a final act, and that is enough to make it a planetary event. Liverpool unbeaten in 11 games this season and 43 consecutive home games. The City, on the other hand, has won 11 of its last 12 trips. Balance and predictions impossible: not a novelty. In November, the unfinished season – says Guardiola -. I don't know what will happen, but there are many games. Experience in this sport says we must fight to the end. True. But for him it would be better not to do it than 9 from Liverpool. That now, as mature as it is, it would be difficult to waste the 7 points on the City on 3 January 2019 as a waste: that day the City (at home) won 2-1 and started the comeback that led Guardiola to win the second consecutive Premier. Tris, judging by how things are, will be much more difficult.
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