Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola reignite their rivalry on Saturday as Liverpool face Manchester City. But who is winning the head-to-head record?
They are two of the biggest managers in world football. Their differing personalities and styles have led to a fascinating rivalry across two countries over 4 years. It began in 2013 when the Spaniard took over at Bayern Munich and was reignited when he came to England last year to take the reins at Manchester City.
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This Saturday they face off again at the Etihad stadium in their 11th meeting with only one draw in the previous ten matches. Liverpool will be raring to go after their 4-0 win against Arsenal last time out. The Reds play their best football against the leading teams and this promises to be a fantastic addition to Klopp/Guardiola annual.
So let’s look at the head-to-head record:
Borussia Dortmund 4 Bayern Munich 2 – German Super Cup, July 2013
Klopp 1 Guardiola 0
Borussia Dortmund 0 Bayern Munich 3 – Bundesliga, Nov 2013
Klopp 1 Guardiola 1
Bayern Munich 0 Borussia Dortmund 3 – Bundesliga, April 2014
Klopp 2 Guardiola 1
Borussia Dortmund 0 Bayern Munich 2 (aet) – German Cup final, May 2014
Klopp 2 Guardiola 2
Borussia Dortmund 2 Bayern Munich 0 – German Super Cup, Aug 2014
Klopp 3 Guardiola 2
Bayern Munich 2 Borussia Dortmund 1 – Bundesliga, Nov 2014
Klopp 3 Guardiola 3
Borussia Dortmund 0 Bayern Munich 1 – Bundesliga, April 2015
Klopp 3 Guardiola 4
Bayern Munich 1 Borussia Dortmund 1 (pens) – German Cup, April 2015
Klopp 4 Guardiola 4
Liverpool 1 Manchester City 0 – Premier League, Dec 2016
Klopp 5 Guardiola 4
Manchester City 1 Liverpool 1 – Premier League, March 2017
Klopp 5 Guardiola 4 Draw 1
So Jurgen Klopp has the upper hand over the Spaniard. What is most impressive is that he is leading Guardiola despite spending far less on players. Both Bayern and City have greatly outspent Dortmund and Liverpool while the two managers have been rivals. Let’s hope the German can pull even further ahead on Saturday.