First meets second in the Premier League on Sunday, as European champions Liverpool meet defending league champions Manchester City at Anfield.
This is the mouth-watering top-of-the-table bout that supporters have been anticipating all season, with the duo appearing a cut above the rest of the competitors in the division so far.
Despite their remarkable record last term, Liverpool were pipped to the title by City, with the matches between them ultimately proving decisive in the context of the title race.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s meeting, City forward Sergio Aguero has shed light on the respect with which his teammates hold the Reds.
“They are the only team in the league that can hurt us,” he told France Football. “They have been chasing a new league title for years.
"These last four seasons, Liverpool have become a very strong team and are now fighting with us to win the Premier League.”
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Pep Guardiola, a little less tactfully, has also shed light on City’s sentiments towards their title rivals by criticising Liverpool star man Sadio Mane after his last-minute winner against Aston Villa last weekend.
"Sometimes [Mane] is diving, sometimes he has this talent to score incredible goals in the last minute,” said Guardiola. “He's a talent.
“It’s happened a lot for Liverpool in the last years [scoring late on] it’s because he’s a special talent.”
Villa’s narrow defeat by Liverpool highlighted some of the Reds’ enduring vulnerabilities, while City’s own weaknesses were revealed as they only narrowly bounced back against Southampton on Saturday.
However, the form guide is with the Reds, who have lost only one of their last 28 top-flight fixtures at home to City—a 2-1 defeat in May 2003—and haven’t lost against the Sky Blues in their last 16 matches at home.
It’s worth noting the Citizens’ form is improving; they were defeated four times in a row between 2015 and 2016, but haven’t lost any of their last five games against Liverpool, even if they are winless in their last 16 away league games at Anfield.
The Reds, under Klopp, have demonstrated they’re remarkably hard to defeat, having lost only one of their last 50 games in the league—against City in January—and they’re without a loss in their last 28 games in the competition.
Could Guardiola’s side ensure that fearsome run comes to an end on Sunday?
Certainly, their own away form will take some stopping, with City having won 11 of their last 12 away games in the Prem—a shock 3-2 defeat by Norwich City.
They’ll be encouraged by the fact the imperious defensive displays Liverpool were posting last term appear to have dissipated; Klopp’s side has now conceded in each of their last five home games.
It’s a vulnerability that City will surely look to exploit, even though no coach has enjoyed more success over Guardiola since the start of his managerial career than Klopp, who has defeated his Spanish counterpart on seven occasions since 2008.
Will he win an eighth showdown on Sunday?
SuperSport are delighted to bring you two huge PSL fixtures this weekend, with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates clashing in Saturday’s Soweto Derby, after Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United meet on Friday.
Chiefs secured the victory in last weekend’s Telkom Knockout quarter-final between the pair, winning 4-2 on penalties following a 2-2 draw.
Fortune Makaringe had given Pirates the lead on 35 minutes before Leonardo Castro drew Chiefs level. Daniel Cardoso then gave Amakhosi the lead from the spot in the 94th minute during extra time, but Gabadinho Mhango equalised for the Buccaneers to send the bout to penalties.
While Pirates ultimately fell short, they deserve credit for enduring much of the contest with 10 men following the 51st-minute dismissal of Mthokozisi Dube.
Tickets for this weekend’s bout at FNB Stadium have sold out, and Chiefs, in particular, will be desperate to build on the TKO triumph to defeat Bucs in open play—something they’ve not done since December 2014.
They are likely to be boosted by the return to full fitness of Reeve Frosler and Kearyn Baccus, both of whom missed the quarter-final due to injury.
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Ernst Middendorp’s side began the week as league leaders, and Pirates know that it’s imperative they halt their old rivals’ rise, while simultaneously avenging last weekend’s defeat.
Wits may have been criticised for not taking Caf competitions seriously this term, but they answered their doubters in style last weekend by reaching the group stage of the Confederation Cup.
Having smashed UD Songo of Mozambique 6-0, they now face a SuperSport United side who were held 0-0 by Golden Arrows on Tuesday. They have their work cut out to down a Wits side who, with a handful of games still in hand, are firmly in the title picture.
Finally, SuperSport is also delighted to present Sunday’s heavyweight Serie A showdown between Juventus and AC Milan.
The Old Lady were held for 70 minutes by neighbours Torino last weekend, ultimately snaring a 1-0 victory thanks to a Matthijs de Ligt goal. However, Juventus will be aware they’re firmly in a title battle, with Internazionale in second bouncing back in style from their recent defeat by the reigning champions.
Fixtures
Friday 8 November:
Bidvest Wits vs SuperSport United SS4 & SS10 (ROA) Kickoff at 20:00 (CAT)
Saturday 9 November:
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace SS3 Kickoff at 14:30 (CAT)
Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates SS4 (SA), SS10 (SA) & SS8 (ROA) Kickoff at 15:30 (CAT)
Tottenham Hotspur vs Sheffield United SS3 Kickoff at 17:00 (CAT)
Inter Milan vs Verona SS9 (SA) & SS8 (ROA) Kickoff at 19:00 (CAT)
Eibar vs Real Madrid SS7 Kickoff at 19:30 (CAT)
Leicester City vs Arsenal SS3 Kickoff at 19:30 (CAT)
Napoli vs Genoa SS9 (SA) & SS8 (ROA) Kickoff at 21:45 (CAT)
Barcelona vs Celta Vigo SS7 Kickoff at 22:00 (CAT)
Sunday 10 November:
Golden Arrows vs Mamelodi Sundowns SS4 (SA) & SS11 (ROA) Kickoff at 15:30 (CAT)
Manchester United vs Brighton SS3 Kickoff at 16:00 (CAT)
Atletico Madrid vs Espanyol SS7 Kickoff at 17:00 (CAT)
Liverpool vs Manchester City SS3 Kickoff at 18:30 (CAT)
Parma vs Roma SS9 (SA) & SS8 (ROA) Kickoff at 19:00 (CAT)
Juventus vs AC Milan SS9 (SA) & SS8 (ROA) Kickoff at 21:45 (CAT)
