Gundogan determined to defeat his old Dortmund mentor Klopp
‘I didn’t expect to be this good this season. There has been no game where my standard dropped’
Ilkay Gundogan has predicted a Champions League classic between Manchester City and Liverpool and is determined to inflict defeat on the manager who stopped him running scared as a player.
The clubs meet in the first leg of their quarter-final at Anfield tomorrow, with Gundogan braced for an “electric” showdown against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Gundogan spent four seasons under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund and credits his former manager with transforming his mindset.
Having won the Bundesliga title under Klopp in 2011-12, Gundogan reached the Champions League final with Dortmund the next year, only to lose 2-1 to Bayern Munich, and he says beating Liverpool en route to winning the competition with City would help ease the lingering pain of that Wembley defeat.
“I came to Dortmund from a relatively small team [Nuremberg] and I struggled during my first six months to find my place there,” Gundogan said. “I was shy and, to be honest, I wasn’t brave enough to do certain things, but I improved.
“I was finally able to find my way and my place, although it wasn’t easy. It was hard, but I learnt a lot. Jurgen played a very important role in all that. I had a terrific time with Salah’s credentials. The Egyptian took his goal tally for the season to 37 with his latest strike against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
De Bruyne says it is a thankless task trying to judge who has been most influential.
“You cannot compare – it is impossible. So how do the players choose?” said De Bruyne. “Everybody has his own opinion. It depends on what people are looking for in a player.
“Salah has a remarkable goalscoring run, and he plays very well in an inside-forward type of role. This season he has been incredible.
“To compare us, I don’t know. With the statistics, how are we going to compare ourselves? It’s totally different, I played [against Everton] like a defensive midfielder, how can you compare me to an inside forward? I have no idea.
“He has been outstanding, his record speaks for itself. It’s just the way it goes. Luckily, I don’t have to do that.”
There may be some tactical voting at Anfield and the Etihad if team-mates seek to help their man.
Recently, Virgil van Dijk was sheepish when asked if there would be much support for De Bruyne in the Liverpool dressing room.
De Bruyne was also non-committal when quizzed where his support was directed – players cannot vote for candidates from their own club.
“I haven’t voted yet. We didn’t vote at City yet,” said De Bruyne. Jurgen, and I feel deeply connected to him.
“We did chat a bit at that time [the quarter final draw]. I only said ‘see you soon’ and sent him a little smiley emoji, to which he answered with a smiley as well.”
Five years have passed since Arjen Robben’s late winner for Bayern over Dortmund and Gundogan hopes he will experience a happier end to the competition this season with City, even though he knows the Premier League championselect will have their work cut out against Liverpool.
“I am lucky to be playing with a team [City] that can say that they can make it into the Champions League final. Maybe I can make up for the lost 2013 final and win this time. That would be the best feeling ever.
“I’m sure these two games are going to be very exciting, electric.”
Liverpool are the only team to have beaten City in the Premier League this season but Gundogan says they know where they went wrong in the 4-3 Anfield defeat in January. “Going back to Anfield is a great motivation for us,” he added.
Pep Guardiola has told several of his key players that he will rest them for the league match against Manchester United on Saturday, when victory at the Etihad would secure the title, with a firm eye on the second leg next Tuesday.