Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are the only side who can claim to have Manchester City‘s number during the Pep Guardiola era, and the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final was further proof.

Buoyed by their home support, Liverpool raced to a 3-0 lead in just over half an hour with goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Sadio Mane. They held on with surprising resolve as Klopp outwitted Guardiola yet again.

STATS

LIVERPOOL

Goals – 3

Shots – 9

Possession – 34%

Tackles – 24

Dribbles – 19

MAN CITY

Goals – 0

Shots – 11

Possession – 66%

Tackles – 22

Dribbles – 15

30-SECOND REPORT

Klopp

Klopp went with his usual 4-3-3, with the big call being entrusting Trent Alexander-Arnold with a starting berth in a match of this magnitude so soon after the young right-back’s poor display against Manchester United.

The youngster did well but this performance was all about his attacking team-mates. A classic Klopp performance as Liverpool pressed and harried City’s pass masters, and countered to perfection to take control of the tie.

Guardiola

Guardiola had a decision to make with his pick for left-back, and he opted for £57million centre-back Aymeric Laporte to deputise at that position. The other big call was leaving Raheem Sterling on the bench and picking Ilkay Gundogan to start, choosing midfield control over attacking explosiveness.

It didn’t work as for all of City’s possession, they couldn’t break Liverpool down and had no answer to the Reds’ counter.

TACTICAL TALKING POINTS

Klopp

LIVERPOOL LEARN GAME MANAGEMENT

Klopp has gotten stick during his Liverpool tenure for seemingly never being able to get his team to take its foot off the gas. On Wednesday, having raced out to a 3-0 lead, Liverpool showed another side to their game.

They came out of the halftime break knowing they’d have to defend, and they soaked up the pressure with aplomb. No ill-advised attacking forays, no unnecessary pressing. Knocked out of their usual style, Liverpool sat deep and kept out City’s vaunted attack with remarkable ease.

Guardiola

NO PLAN B – GUARDIOLA’S OLD FAILING RETURNS

Guardiola insists he’s not an ideologue who only knows one way, but history has shown otherwise and Wednesday was another example.

Picking Gundogan over Sterling may have proven to be the wrong call but swapping the two in the second half wasn’t exactly an inspired substitution. Sterling has plenty of ability but he was never going to offer anything different to what City already had on the pitch – and Liverpool had a handle on that. The truth is, Guardiola had nobody else to turn to.

VERDICT

Klopp

Klopp’s trust in a young player paid off, as Alexander-Arnold got the better of his duel with Leroy Sane. His team’s intensity and pressing stunned England’s supposed best side yet again. And Liverpool have a 3-0 lead. Klopp’s night couldn’t have gone better.

Rating – 9/10

Guardiola

Guardiola has historically struggled against Klopp and this performance showed he still hasn’t found an answer. His selection didn’t work, he had no counter for Liverpool’s press, and he couldn’t coax any improvement out of his team. One of Guardiola’s worst nights as a manager.

Rating – 3/10