Pep Guardiola: Beating Liverpool won't be any easier without Philippe Coutinho

While Guardiola believes Barcelona have themselves a fine player he doesn't think the side he has left behind will be much the poorer for his absence

Philippe Coutinho left Liverpool for Barcelona earlier this week (Getty)

Pep Guardiola doesn't think beating Liverpool will get any easier now that Philippe Coutinho has left for Barcelona.

The Spaniard's runaway league leaders face Jurgen Klopp's Reds on Sunday with the hosts set to take the field for the first time since the Brazilian completed his £142m dream move to the Nou Camp earlier in the week.

Much has been made of how Klopp will look to replace Coutinho but while Guardiola believes Barcelona have themselves a fine player he doesn't think the side he has left behind will be much the poorer for his absence.

"I think the quality of Coutinho is not in doubt. I think Barcelona have signed a top, top player. I think he suits perfectly the way Barcelona want to play, and have played for the past 20 years," he said. "But saying that, Liverpool have resources, and of course they are going to go into the market, and Jurgen knows exactly what he has to do, and what he needs for his team.

"Liverpool remain a top, top, top team. I think this season, they have played a lot of games without Coutinho, for many reasons, injuries or other reasons, and they were always a good stable team. That is not going to change my opinion about Liverpool for Sunday."

Manchester City and Liverpool are the two top scoring teams in the Premier League and in Guardiola and Klopp have two managers committed to playing football in what many would consider to be the right way.

Guardiola has been impressed with what he's seen at Anfield this season and feels in many ways his team and the German's are mirror images of one another.

"When I see Liverpool, I always have the impression they want to make their own game," he added. "They want to decide their own mistakes, and their strong points. They’re a team that, when our central defenders have the ball, Salah, Mane and Firmino are going to go to take the ball, and of course with Van Dijk now, their build-up will be better.

Guardiola thinks Liverpool have played some of the best football in the division so far (Getty)

"Of course, Jurgen Klopp is a master of the counter attack, so they’re a team who can arrive in the finishing area in three or four touches. Salah and Mane are tough guys for us to control, especially when we lose the ball in dangerous positions, because they are so fast, so quick and so clever in the box.

"And of course, now Coutinho’s not there, in the middle, with the talent that he has, but Wijnaldum and Emre Can, and Lallana’s come back, so these are guys who have energy, they are strong, they are good at set pieces.

"I think Liverpool are playing like Liverpool were in the past, with all their history. The fans are demanding attacking football. Liverpool have to defend their whole history. In the 80s, they dominated the world and European football. I think they are trying to respect that.

"Some teams try to sit back against us. Liverpool played well against us. They tried. We want to do something quite similar.

"We want to try to be the best. In terms of specific qualities, it’s about the quality of the players. Manchester City have young players and Liverpool have their own too."