Pep Guardiola knows exactly what to expect when sharing a pitch with Jurgen Klopp. Throughout his illustrious managerial career, only Jose Mourinho has faced him in more matches than his total of 23 with the Liverpool boss.
His playbook for games against Klopp is exhaustive. Guardiola has used a number of different strategies in matches with his biggest rival over the years, dating back to his time in Germany.
In fact, his time in the Bundesliga might have inspired his recent approach on Sunday afternoon. His Man City outfit faced Liverpool in a high-profile Premier League clash over the weekend, and they played more direct than normal.
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After the match - which ended 2-2 - Klopp said: "They were a bit more direct than they usually are. When Hendo or Thiago stepped up, they had to play back passes but when we didn't do that, it was just like a set-piece and they chipped the balls behind our line."
While in charge of Bayern Munich, Guardiola regularly faced Klopp's Dortmund side, who were renowned for their aggressive pressing approach. His team's passing game wasn't always as free-flowing when the two teams met, with BVB placing an emphasis on winning the ball high up the field.
In order to counteract Klopp's proactive press, Bayern played more direct than normal in a one-off match. Javi Martinez, who was a defensive midfielder, was almost deployed as a no.10 of sorts.
Martinez stood around 6'2" and he was used by Guardiola to offer an avenue forward. Bayern were encouraged to play over Dortmund's press, and Martinez almost acted as a target man by receiving aerial balls in the final third. Mario Mandzukic, who also stood around 6'2", was another player who Guardiola used to beat pressing approaches, as he was able to complement a more direct means of building moves.
Although he didn't pick up a win on Sunday, it is reasonable to suggest the home side were the better performing team on the day and it bodes well for Saturday's rematch. As the two sides prepare to meet once more at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final, Klopp will have to find a way of preventing Guardiola's direct game from causing more problems for his team.
