Opinion: Pep Guardiola is right to fear Jurgen Klopp

We need to talk about the upcoming weekend fixture in English football, and how Pep Guardiola is right to fear Jurgen Klopp.

The typical mind games that Pep Guardiola uses before an important match are indicators of one thing, he is afraid of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

Perhaps even more than in previous years, the Reds truly have a chance to win the Premier League title this season and Manchester City is the only club that is capable to stop them.

Guardiola is well aware of this fact, and he will use any tactic to prevent them from winning the game.

With Anfield Road as the venue for this crucial match, anything goes during the build-up as it has been for the last three years.

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are part of the most exciting rivalry in modern football, which has given us some exciting moments in recent history.

The Premier League has been mostly dominated by Manchester City, who are the reigning domestic champions of everything after their historic treble last season.

However, Liverpool will play them next Sunday as the reigning champions of Europe and the current leaders of this year’s competition.

Knowing that he is not at the top of the table, Pep Guardiola is already starting to show the same pattern he had when he coached FC Barcelona.

Back when Jose Mourinho was actually starting to give him a run for his money, Pep used any available tactic in order to distract his opponent.

Most times on the winning side against Pep Guardiola:

Jurgen Klopp (8)
Jose Mourinho (5)
Arsene Wenger (3)

The current rivals. 👀 pic.twitter.com/S7emRkeT4g

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 10, 2018

The trick he is using this time is a typical passive-aggressive mind game that should make his rival doubt about a specific player.

Jurgen Klopp already called Guardiola on his bluff when he said that Ederson won’t play on Sunday, the German manager can see through Pep’s tricks.

But more importantly, this latest choice from Guardiola means that he really is afraid of Liverpool this season.

We are not saying that the Citizens won’t go all out against the Reds at Anfield, we are only saying that they know winning will be extremely difficult.

Remember that Liverpool’s stadium is one of the most complicated in European football today, especially during this era under Jurgen Klopp’s watch.

But far from feeling afraid of the challenge this season, the German coach fully embraces the game that is coming on Sunday.

After realizing that Guardiola’s plan was to distract him from the target with Ederson’s alleged absence, Jurgen responded in the best possible manner by adding more pressure to the Catalan manager.

Although his statement about his rivalry with Pep is true, Guardiola doesn’t see it that way because he has something to prove.

Pep Guardiola phone called Jürgen Klopp right after the Champions League final to congratulate him on his first ever European title.

This big rivals bromance 👊 pic.twitter.com/42RSOlCzqq

— 433 (@official433) June 2, 2019

Klopp took Jose Mourinho’s place as Guardiola’s rival.

Fully knowing that this rivalry is the hottest in Europe right now, Jurgen Klopp doesn’t mind talking about it in public.

After all, Pep needed to find the Ying to his Yang after Jose Mourinho stopped being as competitive as he used to be.

“We constantly get asked questions and sometimes we say what is, in that second, in our mind without thinking about anything else, that we are in public, that there is a camera,” said the German to the press.

“I couldn’t have more respect for Pep Guardiola, that’s how it is. I’ve known him for so long, for me still it’s a big thing to be his contender.”

“For me he’s the best manager in the world and we have the chance to win against his team which is very difficult but possible. That’s enough for me.”

“For me, it’s a 100% want-to-win game – 100% with all I have,” he added.

“We want to win and we try everything to make that happen, which is difficult enough. And then after that we will see how the situation is and use that situation.”

“But it’s a big one, we know that. The whole world will be watching that game. I would 100%, everybody I know will, so it’s a massive one.”

“Last year’s performance of City at Liverpool was probably the biggest show of respect I ever got, that one of my teams ever got, because they played different to what they usually do,” continued Klopp.

“I expect a tight game. How exactly it will be, I don’t know.”