Man City can use Jose Mourinho help against Liverpool FC

Manchester City are reaching the halfway point of a beastly quartet of fixtures - but Pep Guardiola has been here before. The Blues beat Atletico Madrid in midweek in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, and before they go to Madrid next week they face Liverpool in a Premier League game of enormous importance before then taking on Jurgen Klopp's team at Wembley next weekend for a place in the FA Cup final.

It is a defining fortnight across three competitions. But as intense as it may seem, Guardiola has been in an even bigger situation when his Barcelona side faced off against Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid four times in 16 days in the league, cup, and Champions League semi-final; Real ultimately won the cup but Barcelona would go on to win the two grander competitions.

It was a ferocious set of games between two coaches and teams at the top of their game, not unlike the situation in England now with City and Liverpool. Guardiola is much happier to be in England where there is less external pressure than there would be in Spain or Germany, but just as he has learned from Klopp during his time in the Premier League he believes he is a better manager for having battled against Mourinho.

Read more: Guardiola opens up on Klopp relationship ahead of Liverpool clash

Mourinho also knows a thing or two about coming out on top against Liverpool, having bested them on several occasions during his time in the Premier League. Guardiola will be looking to use everything he can to help City end this weekend on top of the table, and his experiences could nudge the Blues to where they want to be despite Liverpool's quality.

“The atmosphere here is different. It is not comparable with Barcelona-Madrid. It's not that