Liverpool vs Manchester City is fighting for honour "CUP" on February
Liverpool vs Manchester City is fighting for honour "CUP" on February
Jurgen Klopp and Manuel Pellegrini will go head-to-head on Sunday at Wembley
Team News:
Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp have a chance to win his first
title in the English League Cup final on Sunday, while Manuel Pellegrini hope
to finish the final season at Manchester City with the trophy.
Club refused to discuss tactics before the game, saying:
"I think that even in Manchester
have televisions."
Pellegrini has hinted that he will field a strong team.
It is replaced by Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola this
summer.
City manager, whose side are still in the title race in the
Premier League, faces Liverpool in the league
on Wednesday.
Last Sunday, named Pellegrini weak against Chelsea in the FA Cup side - a 5-1 loss - a
game with the Champions League midweek against Dynamo Kiev in mind.
But he said: "To win a title in February gives you a
lot of trust to continue fighting for other competitions."
Team News:
Liverpool midfielders Adam
Lallana (calf) and Joe Allen (hamstring) and defender Martin Skrtel (also
hamstring) are all back in training, although might not play.
Centre-back Dejan Lovren has recovered from illness. Boss
Klopp played midfielder Lucas at centre-back in the Europa League win over Augsburg on Thursday,
Manchester
City striker Wilfried
Bony, winger Jesus Navas and defender Eliaquim Mangala can all return from
injury at Wembley. Mangala was an unused substitute for the 3-1 win in Kiev on Wednesday.
Pellegrini is hoping captain Vincent Kompany and former Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling and right-back Bacary
Sagna can play after the recovery sessions.
Fabian Delph, Kevin De Bruyne and Samir Nasri for all the
absentees in the long term.
What the Managers say:
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on City's trip back from Kiev: "I think they
flew - they didn't walk. It is not too difficult and I don't think it is an
issue.
"They will be fit. We will be fit. It is a final and
no-one cares where you played your last game.
"I should not talk here about tactics - I think even in
Manchester they
have televisions so that is not for the press conference. You can be sure we
will have a plan but it is not allowed to go with exactly the same plan in a
completely different game.
"If I think about it I have a few nice pictures in my
mind of after the game at Wembley, being together with our fans and a real
reason to celebrate together with no doubts about why we do that."
Kolo Toure: Winning a cup trumps brotherly love
City lost 4-1 at home to Liverpool in November, but Manchester City
boss Manuel Pellegrini said: "Liverpool
made a very good game here at the Etihad.
"We make a lot of mistakes in the first 15 minutes so
they decide the game early, but all the games are different.
"After we finish on Sunday we have to return to the
Premier League, we have another 36 points to fight for. We are six points
behind the leaders but we will continue fighting until the end and we are not
giving up. It gives you a lot of trust if you win this title."
Match stats:
- This will be Liverpool's 12th League Cup final, a record for the competition. Of the previous 11, they've lifted the trophy eight times - between 1981 and 2012 - most recently against Cardiff on penalties.
- Manchester City have been in four previous League Cup finals, winning in 1970, 1976 and most recently in 2014 against Sunderland. They were runners-up in 1974, losing to Wolves.
- This will be the first Liverpool v Manchester City final in any competition.
- In cup competition, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last eight games against City (W6 D2) - last losing in an FA Cup fourth-round replay in 1973.
- Jurgen Klopp has now reached a cup final in each of his last five seasons as a manager, but has lost the last three. He won the DFB Cup with Dortmund in 2012, lost the Champions League final at Wembley in 2013 and lost successive German cup finals in 2014 and 2015.
- The last eight meetings in all competitions between these sides have produced 32 goals, with both teams finding the net in each match.
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