LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp is expecting a keenly-contested showdown when his side host Manchester United at Anfield in a Premier League clash on Sunday.
While Liverpool are in an unaccostumed sixth place in the table, Manchester United are third, and in a good position in the race for UEFA Champions League spots.
Klopp however believes form will go out of the window when the two fierce local rivals meet at Anfield, where Manchester United have not won in years.
“You need emotions but you need all your other skills as well. It’s not our first ‘derby’,” the German said during his pre-match press conference today.
“We are okay and I was always looking forward to this game. Always when we face them, it’s massive.
“They’ve done really well this year and are where they are. They turned into a results machine with really good performances. Everybody knows they are fully in the fight for winning the league.
“That’s not really important for Sunday because we’re there as well.”
Although Liverpool are six points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, Klopp believes his side are not out of the race for a top four finish that will guarantee a Champions League place.
He said: “It will be difficult. We cannot sit here like we did it already. Yes, they (United) played a better season than us but thank God that means absolutely nothing on Sunday. We need to make sure we show it’s incredibly difficult to play against us.”
The former Borussia Dortmund manager was then asked about Manchester United’s most in-form player Marcus Rashford, who is on an impressive scoring run.
“It’s pretty much impossible to be happy about something at Manchester United when you are the Liverpool manager but I’m really happy for Rashford because had a very difficult last year,” Klopp noted. “Now he’s playing incredible.”
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