Liverpool face Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday evening in one of their most important matches of the season so far.
The Reds’ Champions League journey has not been plain sailing, but they only need to avoid defeat to guarantee their place in the knockout stage.
But beating the Austrian club will not be easy, and Jurgen Klopp knows he has to deal with one of the most in-form strikers on the planet in Erling Braut Haaland and a player who models himself on one of the game’s greatest finishers.
“I looked up to many football players, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the greatest of them all,” he said.
“The way he got so good, the way he plays… Besides, he’s Scandinavian, so he has to be followed by one!”
Klopp called the bullish marksman ‘exceptional’ in his pre-match media duties, and Haaland’s astonishing record of scoring in 28 goals in 21 games this season will serve as evidence for that.
“He’s 19 years old, exceptional player, but how would you defend a very good striker? Try to make sure that he gets not that many balls,” Klopp said.
“Just a really big, big talent with a wonderful future, 100 per cent, but for tomorrow night, how you defend the best strikers, you try to avoid passes to them, you cut them out of the game and when they have the ball.
“We have to make it as difficult as possible. He’s unfortunately not the only strong player in their team.”
Rotation has been the name of the game so far this month for Klopp, and more changes are expected for the European clash as the he looks to keep his side fresh throughout the busy festive schedule.
Dejan Lovren limped off in the win over Bournemouth at the weekend and he will probably be left out as a precaution, so Joe Gomez is therefore expected to move into centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was rested for the Bournemouth clash but he will return to the side for the trip to Austria.
Naby Keita, who dazzled in the victory on the south coast, may be displaced in the XI by Georginio Wijnaldum, who missed the match with cramp.
Sadio Mane, who scored 31 goals for Salzburg in 63 league games between 2012 and 2014, will also return to the side for the match and Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah will complete the trio up front.
Have a look at the full line-up below…
You can hear RB Salzburg vs Liverpool in the Champions League live on talkSPORT 2 at 5:55pm on Tuesday evening
