Liverpool vs Manchester United: It’s 'the mother' of all matches, says Jurgen Klopp

The German believes big games like tomorrow's Europa League round of 16 first leg are easy because 'you are focused'

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (Getty Images)

Jürgen Klopp has suggested that Liverpool’s first European meeting with Manchester United is “the mother of all games”, but Louis van Gaal has taken a more downbeat approach.

United manager Van Gaal has hinted that, for him, a Europa League victory in the round-of-16 first leg at Anfield would be no more satisfying than a run-of-the-mill Premier League win.

“Matches like this are the mother of all football games,” said Klopp. “That’s what you want when you are young. These games are easy, because they are so big. You don’t have to think about concentration because you are focused.”

Van Gaal’s mind was still on last Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion. “I want to win every game,” he said. “It does not depend on whether we play Liverpool or West Bromwich Albion.

“When we win against Liverpool, I am very happy, but not more happy than if we had beaten West Bromwich.”

This evening’s match-up is the latest instalment in an intriguing rivalry between Klopp and Van Gaal. The United manager spent almost two seasons at Bayern Munich when Klopp was starting to lift Borussia Dortmund to Champions League contenders.

Van Gaal’s Bayern won their first match against Dortmund 5-1, in September 2009, and then won the second. But Klopp gained the upper hand; his team won their next five meetings, culminating in a 5-2 victory in the 2012 DFB-Pokal final, which completed a German league and cup double.

By then, Van Gaal had long gone, sacked in the spring of 2011 as Dortmund headed for the first of two consecutive league titles. Now Van Gaal has won all four of his matches against Liverpool as United manager, although only one of those was over Klopp.

“Louis van Gaal is one of the most successful managers in the world,” Klopp said. “We learned to take the Bayern style. We then had the longest run of winning games against Bayern Munich in the history of German football.

“I’m pleased he changed the situation at United when it was not going well, because at the end of a long career it was not good what was being written about him.

“A few people were writing as if he had no idea about football. He changed enough that things have improved.”

Van Gaal’s United have not improved enough to make Champions League qualification a certainty for next season, though, and they and Liverpool, champions of Europe eight times between them, may be playing in the Europa League again next season.

Van Gaal has harsh words for critics who suggest that is a sign that both teams are in terminal decline.

“It’s not normal that one team dominates for 20 years in a row as champions,” he said. “It was another time. You have to live in the present.”

Neither manager believes that a Europa League meeting is a sign that these matches are losing their prestige.

“What is Champions League level?” Klopp said. “I’ve seen a lot of rubbish games in the Champions League. I know Liverpool and Manchester United want to be a part of it, but there are only top teams left in the Europa League. It’s like a little Champions League.”