Much of the build-up has surrounded the supposed issue of whether Klopp will celebrate if Liverpool score in either leg against Dortmund, but the manager has dismissed such questions the only way he knows how.
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“We have looked at the way Dortmund play but my players haven’t travelled here without any hope we will get a result”, he said. “They have very good players who can play on the counter”.
“My players have not come here expecting me to give them a detailed breakdown on every Dortmund player and to tell them whether they turn left or right or play through the middle”.
He was a huge success Dortmund, leading them to two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League final, before taking a spell out of the game, and says it will be business as usual on Thursday night.
The game is heightened by the fact that Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp returns to his old team.
The Merseyside giants will take on Dortmund at the Westfalenstadion tonight before welcoming Thomas Tuchel’s men to Anfield for the return fixture a week later.
“If we don’t have a good moment then it will be easy for Dortmund, but why should I think about this – I don’t have to think about the final”.
Jurgen Klopp may sacrifice Daniel Sturridge ‘s goal threat for the power and energy of Divock Origi here in Germany, writes David Maddock in Dortmund.
The German side have won seven of their ten fixtures since the start of the group stage; one more than any other team in this season’s competition.
If he can take the pressure off our players then all the better, although they’ll be playing in a more intense atmosphere than anything they would have experienced this season.
“Anything else but a warm welcome for Jurgen Klopp will be a surprise”, Tuchel said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“We haven’t prepared anything differently for this game”.
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“Gundogan was able to train intensively today so we’ll see how he reacts tomorrow”, Tuchel added. We have had the same focus as the Tottenham game.
