Klopp will hope that Liverpool can hark back to this 4-0 win over his old side on Thursday
Venue: Signal Iduna Park (Westfalenstadion)
Kick-off: 20:05 BST
Liverpool will take on Jurgen Klopp’s former side this evening in a game that will be billed as one of the biggest in Europe this season; something that is quite rare for two sides not inthe Champions League.
Both sides are currently going through a period of transition, with a new manager, with new philosophies and ideas but it’s clear that Thomas Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund has had the much easier task, after being left a wonderful squad to work with by Klopp.
Speaking of the squads, Liverpool will have to assess the fitness of Roberto Firmino ahead of the game, after the Liverpool Echo revealed last night that the 24 year old should be fit to play but the great news, as of yesterday afternoon, is that the player has traveled. For Christian Benteke though, the game may have come a day or so too soon.
Lucas Leiva, meanwhile, is still a few days from full fitness but considering the players Liverpool could be missing for the second leg, with so many walking a disciplinary tightrope, his return to fitness in time for next week could be timely.
The Dortmund manager has little in the way of injuries, with Ilkay Gundongan a doubt ahead of the game, whilst Mats Hummels is almost a certainty to start.
Thomas Tuchel will have the luxury of an almost full squad to choose from but with a big game against Champions League hopefuls Schalke at the weekend, the Dortmund manager may have a balancing act on his hands to ensure his team stay in touch with Bayern.
In terms of form, the home side haven’t lost in 16 games across all competitions, winning 14 and drawing twice. Worryingly for Klopp’s team, Dortmund have won their last 5 fairly comfortably, with only Werder really pushing them at the weekend. That, at least, may give the Reds hope.
That said, Liverpool themselves are in relatively decent form, losing just once in normal time in the last 12 games. Whilst the form in the past 5 games has been a mixed bag, it has included Spurs, Southampton and Manchester United twice. It may seem like clutching at straws somewhat but Borussia Dortmund would be foolish to go into the game expecting to win as comfortably as they did against Tottenham.
The bookies have Dortmund as favourite for the two-legged clash, and rightly so, with William Hill having the home side for the first leg at 1/2 for the game, with Liverpool at 11/2. Sky Bet show little difference, offering 1/2 and 5/1 respectively.
