Tuesday 3 April 2018 21:43, UK
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool must be at their very best to beat Pep Guardiola's "special" Manchester City and reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Liverpool host Guardiola's side in the first leg on Wednesday night and can take heart from inflicting the only league defeat upon City this season, winning 4-3 in an Anfield thriller in January.
Klopp says both sides will leave everything on the pitch over the two legs in order to take their place as England's only representative in the last four.
"There is no easy opponent [in the quarter-finals of the Champions League]," Klopp said.
"Now we have Manchester City and they are quite a special team to be honest. That is the truth and they will be the absolutely deserving champion of the Premier League.
"It's clear that City, with the things they have and the heights they have reached this season, their confidence is probably at an outstandingly high level.
"That's okay. But we are not in a bad moment we are in a good moment as well. City have a chance at Anfield because they can win wherever they go. But we can win football games as well and that's the only thing I am interested in.
"I like difficult tasks, I like difficult jobs. It's about what we can do in this moment and preparing our boys in the best way possible, both mentally and physically, and then let's go. It's a big opportunity and we'll try everything to make it happen.
"They have fantastic patterns in what they do constantly so it's clear but difficult to defend. It will be an interesting game and always in football everything can happen. Everything is possible.
"But at the end the only thing that is 100 per cent sure is that both teams need to invest everything that they have to have a chance to win it, and I am fine with that.
"We beat City a few months ago but we knew before the game that it was possible. It's just unbelievably difficult to do it but we knew it was possible then and we know it is possible again now.
"We need to be at our best, and in a few moments against City [in January] we were at our best.
"We know what we have to do in the end, but it's about doing it. It's a big game against one of the best teams in Europe if not the best team in Europe, at the moment."
Liverpool supporters were warned last month that they face prosecution if they use pyrotechnics to greet Manchester City's team coach as it makes its way to Anfield for Wednesday night's encounter.
But Klopp has no issue with Liverpool fans lining the streets before the game, providing everything is above board.
"I have no clue what it is doing for the opposition to be honest but for us it is wonderful, it is great," he added.
"It shows everything, it shows the passion and as long as it happens in a completely legal way, I am completely fine with it. I like it, I am not the guy who organises it but it's the welcome for my team and it is brilliant."
Left-back Andy Robertson hopes the team can make full use of Liverpool's 12th man on what he hopes will be another famous European night at Anfield.
He said: "Everyone knows Liverpool fans take to the Champions League very well.
"Premier League, week-in-week-out, they are brilliant but in the Champions League they take it up a level. Hopefully we can use it to our advantage."
