Juergen Klopp braced for ‘mother of all football matches’ as Liverpool face Manchester United in Europa League showdown

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has suggested that his team’s Europa League meeting with Manchester United has a claim to the title of “the mother of all football matches”.

The two teams have one of the longest-standing, and most keenly felt rivalries in world football, but have never met in European competition before.

It means that Thursday’s round of 16 first-leg meeting at Anfield will be a first, and Klopp sees it as one of the biggest matches on show anywhere in the world.

That is despite the fact that they will be meeting in European football’s secondary club competition rather than the Champions League.

“Games like this are the mother of all football games. That’s what you want when you are young. These games are easy, because they are so big. You don’t have to think about concentration because you are absolutely focused.

“It’s big. I don’t have to compare games. If you work in Dortmund, as I did, and you play against Schalke, it’s not possible to talk about anything else.

“It’s similar here with this fixture. It’s a really big game. I hope it’s not the biggest in my Liverpool career, but it’s very important.”

Liverpool’s manager is used to facing his United counterpart Louis van Gaal, as they were regular opponents in the Bundesliga.