Jurgen Klopp took down Pep Guardiola. Can he take down Jose Mourinho too?
Liverpool and Manchester United at the International Champions Cup
On Wednesday, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane came in the second half of the game against Manchester City and changed the complexity of the contest, showing they’re a class above everyone else. Salah tied the score before Mane struck an injury-time winner to give Liverpool a late 2-1 win. It was a nice bounce-back performance after the 3-1 loss suffered against Borussia Dortmund in Charlotte.
On the same day, Manchester United player their third pre-season friendly versus AC Milan. The Red Devils needed a marathon penalty shootout (9-8) to get the better of their Italian opponents. It was a third straight unconvincing display by Mourinho’s depleted squad following draws with Club America and San Jose Earthquakes.
Liverpool vs. Manchester United preview
A pre-season friendly between rivals Liverpool and Manchester United is like a regular season game for most teams. Mourinho, who is not one to back down and take the high road, took a shot at Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool’s transfer policy, adding some early season fuel to the fire.
“And I’m also happy to smile [about Klopp’s previous comments] and to see that, you know, you can change your opinion and change as a person, it’s funny.”
“You have to demand and say the team with investments you are making last season, that you made in January, that you make now, that will probably be the record [amount] of the Premier League [teams] this season, a team that was a finalist in the Champions League, you have to say you are a big candidate and you have to win.”
The previous comments Mourinho is referring to came when Manchester United broke the record with Paul Pogba. At the time, Klopp criticised the eccentric amount of money spent on the midfielder and claimed it wasn’t something he needed to build a winning club. The tables have turned this off-season as The Reds have been the ones splashing cash and smashing records on the transfer market while a frustrated Mourinho has sat in the background waiting for Manchester United’s board to unlock the safe.
He has also had to deal with Alexis Sanchez’s visa issues and Anthony Martial’s transfer request. The Frenchman’s abrupt departure to attend the birth of his second child has left Mourinho without a single proven striker on the roster, as both Lukaku and Rashford are on holiday.
With Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane expected to start in Liverpool’s last game on U.S. soil before travelling to Dublin to take on Napoli, Manchester United players will have work cut out for them heading into Saturday’s clash in Michigan.
Liverpool vs. Manchester United: When and where?
Date: Saturday, July 28
Time: 10:05 CET (GMT+2)
Venue: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Live Stream: WatchESPN (U.S.), MUTV, LFCTV
