Welcome to the first installment of the so-called “Jurgen Klopp Clasico.”
Klopp leads his Liverpool team against Borussia Dortmund — the club he coached for seven years before he stepped down last summer — on Thursday at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarterfinal series. Expect emotional scenes at the venerable stadium, as Dortmund fans welcome Klopp back to his former home.
180 – Jurgen Klopp took charge of 319 competitive games as Borussia Dortmund manager, winning 180 (56.4%). Return.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 7, 2016
Just in case Jürgen Klopp gets confused on his way to the visitors’ dressing room at #BVB. ➡️ (📷 @dw_sports) pic.twitter.com/FaF7W2Thv4
— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 6, 2016
Dortmund welcoming Klopp: "Dear Jurgen, away defeats are felt the best at home". pic.twitter.com/vpZnSchcPp
— Artur Petrosyan (@arturpetrosyan) April 5, 2016
But the action should be fierce, as Dortmund and Liverpool play high-tempo, pressing soccer and are keen to continue progress to the semifinals of the competition.
Dortmund’s form and recent performances makes it the favorite against the Reds. Dortmund is undefeated in its last 14 games in all competitions, having won 11 of them. Liverpool has drawn two out of its last three games, suffering a defeat in the other outing.
Klopp said in his pregame press conference his knowledge of Dortmund’s players won’t be a crucial factor in determining the winner of both the game and the series. The result and performances on the field will tell whether Klopp was trying to play mind games with his successor Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Here’s how to watch Liverpool vs. Dortmund online.
When: Thursday, April 7, at 3:05 p.m. ET
Live Stream: FoxSoccer2Go
Thumbnail photo via Martin Meissner/Associated Press
