The contrast was vast.
There was Jurgen Klopp in the bowels of the Estadio do Dragao paying homage to the thousands of Kopites who have provided the soundtrack to Liverpool 's thrilling resurgence on the European stage .
Klopp knows the value of that passion and unwavering support which he hopes will help propel the Reds into the semi-finals of the Champions League at the expense of FC Porto on Wednesday night.
Once again they have travelled in huge numbers. Once again every single ticket has been snapped up.
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“The journey we made with each other in the last couple years, it’s really amazing,” Klopp beamed.
“It is brilliant. Thank-you to all of you. It is unbelievable.”
A thousand miles away a few hours earlier, Pep Guardiola's message to Manchester City supporters had been very different.
The Spaniard Fans notice where Liverpool have the upper hand over Manchester City ahead of crucial Champions League night and challenged them to prove to him that they want to win the Champions League ahead of their quarter-final second leg with Tottenham at the Etihad.
“I want an atmosphere like the Liverpool game,” Guardiola said.
“That would be enough for me, maybe a little bit better. We need it.
“At this stage, without supporters, we cannot go through. I'm really curious to see how our fans are going to react.
“Many times I’ve arrived in quarter-finals and semi-finals, and every time the support is incredible from the local fans and we need it. I want to see that they want to get to the semi-finals, not just the players, the fans too.”
Klopp is no stranger to a pre-match call to arms, but the idea of him even questioning how Anfield would approach a Champions League quarter-final is preposterous.
It just wouldn't happen. Klopp knows exactly what he would be getting.
Klopp knows what the European Cup means to Kopites. He knows that Anfield always delivers.
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There are no plastic flags or pyrotechnics when Liverpool host high-stakes Champions League contests. There's no need to manufacture an atmosphere. It's about raw emotion and the famous 12th man.
The European Cup is the pinnacle and the five-times winners give it the treatment it deserves.
On the field, there is little between Liverpool and Manchester City in the battle for supremacy. But off it, there really is no contest.
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