Klopp can halt megabucks Premier teams
German legend Lothar Matthaus believes Jurgen Klopp can break the stranglehold mega- rich clubs like Manchester City have on the Premier League.
Klopp ended B aye rn Munich’ s dominance of the Bundesliga, when he was Borussia Dortmund boss, and the former Bayern and Germany skipper is sure he can repeat the trick.
“Maybe City has more money but I know the mentality of Jurgen Klopp and the mentality of his teams,” says Matthaus.
“However, I think he needs to find one or two more players, especially for the defence.
“It’s like Pep Guardiola in his first season at City. He had a good offence, but then he had to invest a lot in the defence.
“Yo u see what a difference it has made – so far ahead of city rivals, United – this is because he brought many players for the defence last summer.
“K lopp knows exactly which players he needs. He always finds the right player who can make the difference, especially in the offence.
“I saw Mo Salah when he played in Rome, two or three years ago, and was one of the best players in Serie A. For this reason Klopp wanted to buy him.
“He was sure Salah could help the team to score more goals and get better results for Liverpool.
“People were shaking their heads when he spent £ 75m for a defender ( Virgil van Dijk), but this spending on the defence has made it much better.
“He sold Philippe Coutinho but the team doesn’t feel the loss so much now.
“Coutinho is a very good player but he played better for Liverpool than he has for Barcelona.
“I don’t feel Liverpool miss him because they are playing with a different system. I think they’re in a good way.
“Jurgen hasn’t changed so much about his style since Dortmund. His teams are always ready to fight for 90 minutes and are always in good condition.
“He has done a very good job. I believed from the beginning that he and Liverpool have a very good relationship.
“You can see that in the good results that he has bought the right players.
“For me, it is a team that can win the Champions League. But there are eight teams and all have a chance to win.
“Bayern Munich and the Spanish teams are the favourites. But the smallest mistake at this stage can knock you out. You need focus, luck and decisions to go your way.
“The five English teams performed very well in the group stages. Now you only have two, but both of these teams can win the trophy because everybody can see the quality of City and Liverpool.”