Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola are about to face mirrored versions of themselves

Imitation, the old saying goes, is the sincerest form of flattery, and as Manchester City gear up to host Liverpool in this weekend's Premier League grudge match, the two teams have never appeared more similar.

Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp were once deemed as polar opposites despite their attacking principles. Since his emergence as the world's most decorated coach, the former has reiterated his love for the ball on a countless number of occasions. Possession is and always has been everything to Guardiola.

Klopp originated from a different place. The German has favoured penetration as opposed to possession throughout his managerial career. His initial rise as a pioneer of sorts in his homeland revolved around his unorthodox approach against the ball and how it managed to highlight the pitfalls of possession-based football.

"I don’t like winning with 80% possession," he once said. "Fighting football, not serenity football, that is what I like." The quintessential Klopp performance was known to incorporate turnovers, counter-attacks, second balls, energy and aggressive pressing high up the field. Everything was full tilt.

Guardiola's game was nowhere near as chaotic, it was about perfection. The priority for the Catalan was control yet on Sunday afternoon, both coaches will almost gaze into a mirror. Man City and Liverpool, after years of competition at the pinnacle of English football, have essentially copied one another.

Guardiola's current outfit has been constructed to optimise the strengths of Joao Cancelo amongst others. The Portuguese international is more effective in possession than most of his peers, and he's been presented with a platform to showcase his offensive qualities at the Etihad.

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