Jurgen Klopp cast himself as the philosophical opposite of his rival for Saturday’s crunch match. They have been pitted against each other for a decade now, Klopp and Pep Guardiola, over 28 meetings from the German Super Cup to the Community Shield, via the FA, Carabao and German cups, the Bundesliga, the Premier League and the Champions League. They will be in neighbouring technical areas at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday when Manchester City host Liverpool, just as they are side by side again in the league table, for a game Klopp said he “would watch wherever I was on the planet”. But, once again, he is up against the man he deems the finest in his business. “I don't know how often I have said it but he's the best manager in the world,” he said. And while he will willingly admit that Guardiola is an influence, he compared himself to his great rival by drawing a distinction between them. “Defending is an important part of the game,” he said. “That is where my philosophy starts and his maybe ends.” Guardiola may disagree on that point, given the importance he attaches to pressing. As Klopp accepted: “We are not that close that we have spoken about it.” But Klopp’s blueprint against Guardiola involves defending; which, in turn, is the basis of his attacking. Gegenpressing, after all, is his best playmaker. “I love preparing for a game when the opponent wants the ball because it gives you an opportunity to create something,” he said. Devastating transitions have been at the heart of his blueprint to beat Guardiola. It is one that no one else has been able to copy; not with any consistency. Only one manager has faced Guardiola at least eight times and has won more often than he has lost, and that is the man who has taken him on most often. Klopp’s 12 victories have been spread across Germany and England but have had certain common denominators. Klopp’s teams don’t dominate the ball, and nor do they try to. But nor do they give it up altogether: beating Manchester City with 20 per cent possession, he rationalised, “is really rare and your counterattacks have to be spot on”. And if Liverpool’s sometimes are, they had 37 per cent of the ball when they won 1-0 at Anfield last season, 32 per cent in the 2-1 Champions League victory at the Etihad Stadium, 36 per cent in 2018’s 4-3 triumph at Anfield. Klopp’s sides have to defend well, but the scorelines indicate that the games have not been defensive. Perhaps it is simply testament to the attacking quality on the pitch but those 28 matches have produced 93 goals, an average of 3.32 each. While winning more – 12 to 11 – Klopp’s teams have conceded more goals, 48 to 45; as he knows from 5-0, 4-0, 4-1 and 4-1 results, when City are on top, they can seem unstoppable. “If we can make it really uncomfortable for them, we have a chance,” Klopp said. “If they feel comfortable in their game, no team has a chance.” Arguably, no one else has made life uncomfortable for Guardiola as often as Klopp. Some of the unconventional decisions that have led to accusations that the Catalan overthinks things have come against Liverpool: Aymeric Laporte has played at left-back at Anfield, Ilkay Gundogan as a quasi-right-winger and Jack Grealish as a false nine, none with any conspicuous success. Klopp nevertheless argued that it will be hard for Guardiola to spring a surprise. “We are all kind of predictable so it is not that we have a rabbit in our pocket and pull it out,” he said. “It is football, all the pitches are the same size and it is super interesting.” He knows City want the ball and where they want it. The challenge lies in concentration and organisation, in when to try to take it off them, how and whether Liverpool can spring a break. “Now it is about each space on the pitch you give them on the pitch that they want to explore,” he said. “They really want to play. They are the one team who have four at the back and one of them is the goalkeeper. They don’t only play around their own box, they move slightly higher as well. If we have a solution for that, they will step back and adapt.” Guardiola can seem the control freak of the pair, Klopp the man with a brand of chaos theory. Yet he presented himself as the organiser, the defensive strategist, and the City manager as the ranter and raver. “I am not sure how deep you have to go into our personality to see what we are like,” he said. “I am 56 and I still don't know who I am but Pep is for sure this type of guy who likes to get angry with his boys if they don't want the ball. I have that a little bit. For me, I love to organise other things to get advantage from that and that is deep in my personality.” And that personality, over the years, has equipped him for the seemingly impossible task of facing Guardiola. Read More Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool can benefit from Alexis Mac Allister’s deeper role Jamie Carragher explains how new Trent Alexander-Arnold role can leave Liverpool vulnerable How Pep Guardiola borrowed from Jurgen Klopp to elevate Manchester City Pep Guardiola puts Jurgen Klopp on pedestal as ‘by far’ his biggest career rival Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool can benefit from Alexis Mac Allister’s deeper role Mohamed Salah ‘a completely different animal’ for Liverpool before Man City clash

By Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON The Biden administration picked the chairman of Google parent Alphabet, John Hennessy, and four

The Supreme Court seems a bit quieter than in recent years as the justices begin a new term

Tym Blanchard failed to open his account on 'Jeopardy' which infuriated the fans of game show

Mzansi Youth Choir strikes gold with Audience Golden Buzzer in 'AGT' Season 18 as they honor Nightbirde's emotional anthem 'It's Ok'

During a segment of her London concert, Madonna invited her daughters, Lourdes Leon and Mercy James, to join her on stage

Revelers across the nation braved heat and heavy downpours to take part in Fourth of July activities Tuesday, celebrating the nation’s founding with parades, fireworks and hot dog eating contests at a time of lingering political divisions

England Under-21s’ match-winner Anthony Gordon was frustrated not to have taken more chances to make their 1-0 European Championship quarter-final victory over Portugal more comfortable. However, he praised the resilience of the side after a fourth successive clean sheet at the tournament. England’s youngsters came under late pressure from their opponents, who came closest to equalising when Henrique Araujo’s header rebounded off the crossbar. “You’re going to get chances and it’s up to me to finish them,” Newcastle winger Gordon, playing as a central striker, said in his post-match press conference after sweeping home in the 34th minute. You're going to get chances and it's up to me to finish them Anthony Gordon “I probably should have had one or two more, which I’m a bit gutted about. “I’m extremely tired but happy for the win, happy for the character we showed as a team, the way we dug in. “We’ve had a lot of top performances so far in this tournament and today was a completely different challenge, a completely different game where they had a lot of the ball and we came through it and dug in as a team. “We haven’t had that test (previously). We haven’t had that opportunity to show we’ve got that side to our game and tonight we got to – and we definitely proved ourselves in that.” England are into the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 2017 and they will meet Israel, whom they beat 2-0 in the group stage, on Wednesday. “We found the game against Israel difficult. They are such a compact, well-organised team and we will have to be at our best to beat them,” said England manager Lee Carsley, who was also impressed with his side’s defensive display against Portugal. He added: “I definitely consider Portugal one of the best teams we have played. “We had to show different parts of our game tonight; not only were we good in possession, what was most pleasing was the team spirit and the way they stuck together in the second half.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Lionel Messi has met his new fans at Inter Miami

Marlo Hampton feels the cast has become selective about what they reveal, especially after Kandi Burruss' refusal to speak about the shootout

SAVE $20.99: As of July 24, Amazon just discounted Keurig's K-Iced coffee maker to $79,

With pumpkin season reaching a crescendo for Halloween celebrations (October 31), chances are you’re after a few spine-chilling party props to ward off evil spirits – and entertain friends and family. From decking out the house with ghoulish garlands, to casting a spell of witchcraft with candles and cushions, here’s what’s hot for a howling Halloween… 1. Black Twig Halloween Wreath with Bats, £22.49 (was £29.99), Halloween Garland Foliage Door Kit with Webbing & Hanging Bats, £52.49 (was £69.99), Ginger Ray. For a drop dead gorgeous doorscape, black twigs entwined with bats and framed by eerie foliage sets the scene for an evening of skulduggery. 2. Set of 3 Halloween Candle Lanterns, £5, (was £18), Studio. Don’t let your entrance hall be an afterthought… this terrifying trio can be styled on a staircase; otherwise place on a hallway table next to a trick or treat bucket of sweets and gruesome goodies. 3. Trick Or Treat Halloween Neon Wall Light, £59.99, Lights4fun. A standout light show is all part of the dramarama, and this neon flex features 190 orange LEDs which can be hooked up on a feature wall. Think a dedicated #halloweenbackdrop for costume parties. 4. Trick or Treat Mugs, £15 each, rest of items from a selection, Sophie Allport Whether it’s a witches brew, hauntingly good hot chocolate or pumpkin spice latte, these motif mugs are the perfect prop to elevate those warming drinks. 5. Pumpkin Ramekin, Cream, £10, Pumpkin Casserole Dish, £40, Set of 3 Paper Pumpkin Decorations, £10, rest of items from a selection, Next. From Halloween chili con carne with witches fingers (chipolata sausages topped with red peppers to resemble fingernails), to mini pumpkin pies, these dishes will dress up your tablescape. 6. Curzon Table Candle Holder, £28, rest of items from a selection, Garden Trading. Sometimes it only takes a striking centrepiece to steal the show… fill a Gothic-inspired candle holder with tapered orange candles and style with Halloween cupcakes. Job done. 7. LED Halloween Garland – Black, £11.99, Halloween Checkered Pumpkin, £2.99, rest of items from a selection, The Range. A fearsome fireplace is a great styling tool, but if you don’t have one, this garish garland can be draped along a windowsill or dining table. With skeletal hands, skulls and red roses, even the grim reaper might be on the guest list. 8. Very Home Set of 3 LED Slim Wax Candles Halloween Decoration, £11.99 (was £17.99), Very. Spooktacular black candles and cobwebs go hand in hand, and these tall pillars will cast shadows over dark and moody settings. 9. Happy Halloween Cushion – Black, £8.99, Hey Boo Embroidered Cushion, £8.99, Trick or Treat Cushion – White, £7.99, rest of items from a selection, The Range. Tailor-made for humorous Halloween settings, these scatter cushions are far from sinister. 10. Very Home Set of 4 Halloween LED Pumpkin Pathfinders, £10.99 (was £19.99), Very. To complete your costume drama, let trick or treaters be guided by these pumpkin pathfinders when darkness falls… and there’s only the light of the moon. Read More Black magic: Go back to black this season with the catwalk-inspired trend How to prep your home for when the clocks go back Menopause campaigner Mariella Frostrup: ‘I look forward to a future where women gradually stop feeling so ashamed’ More girls miss school and college due to their periods than colds, survey finds More girls miss school and college due to their periods than colds, survey finds How to look after your immune system as the weather changes