A SHORT HISTORY OF JÜRGEN KLOPP VS. THOMAS TUCHEL

May 14, 2022
3 years ago

Jürgen Klopp will face Thomas Tuchel for the eighth time in his Liverpool managerial career in Saturday's Emirates FA Cup final.

 

The Reds will play Chelsea in another domestic showdown at Wembley, and Klopp will look to improve on a record that has seen him lose two of his last eight meetings with his countryman.

 

Tuchel has led three teams that have faced Klopp's Liverpool, with the Blues following PSG and Borussia Dortmund.

 

Here's a rundown of what happened each time Klopp faced Tuchel while in charge at Anfield...

 

Liverpool 1-1 Borussia Dortmund - April 7, 2016

 

One guy inevitably dominated the pre-match conversation leading up to this Europa League quarter-final first leg.

 

Klopp returned to Signal Iduna Park with his new team less than a year after concluding an era-defining time as Dortmund manager.

 

Prior to the game, Klopp labeled Dortmund as "one of the strongest teams in global football," but Liverpool struck first and scored an away goal through Divock Origi's exquisite finish.

 

Tuchel's team rallied, though, as Mats Hummels headed in an equalizer just after halftime. As the hosts sought a cushion for the second leg at Anfield, the Reds were obliged to defend hard.

 

"We watched the game, and it's still 50/50... I'm quite pleased with the performance... Klopp's post-match assessment was, "We have to perform at our best in the rematch to go through."

 

Borussia Dortmund 4-3 Liverpool - April 14, 2016

 

Dortmund thought to have sealed up the tie with an electric start that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang score within the opening 10 minutes. Liverpool, after all, now needed three goals to progress.

 

The Reds made it to halftime without additional injury, and Origi's second goal of the tie gave them optimism three minutes into the second stanza.

 

The visitors, on the other hand, swiftly asserted their dominance, and Marco Reus' 57th-minute strike ensured their spot in the semi-finals. Surely...?

 

Not so.

 

Midway through the half, Philippe Coutinho cut the deficit, and Anfield began to believe again. Then Mamadou Sakho stooped to head in Liverpool's third of the evening, bringing the aggregate score to 4-4.

 

Dortmund's three away goals kept them in contention for the final four, but Klopp's side only had 12 minutes to find a winner and complete an improbable comeback.

 

Dejan Lovren headed home James Milner's cross at the Kop end in the first minute of stoppage time to etch this night into Anfield legend.

 

Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 Liverpool - September 18, 2018

Much had changed at Anfield by the time Tuchel returned, this time as PSG's manager, little over two years later.

 

Klopp's Liverpool had developed into a squad that had reached the Champions League final the previous season and would finish this season as European champions while also coming within a hair of winning the Premier League.

 

 

 

Tuchel put up a star-studded lineup that included Kylian Mbappe and Neymar for a Champions League group-stage start that would have that heady 'European night at Anfield' feel.

 

 

Daniel Sturridge and James Milner's penalties gave Liverpool a 2-0 lead, but Thomas Meunier equalized before the break.

 

With 10 minutes remaining, Mbappe equalized, and the enthralling match appeared to be heading for a draw.

 

 

 

But there was still time for a last twist, as Roberto Firmino – who had come on as a substitute after suffering an eye injury a few days previously against Tottenham Hotspur — scored a stoppage-time winner.

 

Tuchel groaned later, "This is Anfield, this is what they do."

 

Liverpool 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain - November 28, 2018

Tuchel would win some retribution by defeating Klopp's Liverpool in the rematch a few months later.

 

The hosts' fiery start at Parc des Princes paid off as Juan Bernat and Neymar put them two goals up, but Milner would hold his calm from the penalty spot for the second time that season.

 

The Reds had a chance to get back into the game with that goal on the stroke of half-time, but they were unable to salvage anything from their journey to the French capital.

 

"We pursued the game with a lot of intensity, but Paris were also extremely enthusiastic," Klopp said after the game. That's why we lost; they scored two goals while we only scored one, and our decision-making in these crucial times was insufficient."

 

4 March 2021 - Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea

Tuchel's Chelsea inflicted a sixth successive home defeat on a Liverpool squad devoid of form, confidence, and senior centre-backs in an encounter played behind closed doors.

 

With Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, and Virgil van Dijk all out for the season, as well as Jordan Henderson, Fabinho teamed Ozan Kabak at the heart of the Reds' defense.

 

Mason Mount's goal just before half-time gave the Blues the lead and put Klopp's team in seventh position in the Premier League, despite the fact that they would rally to finish third.

 

1-1 draw between Liverpool and Chelsea on August 28, 2021

Chelsea's second return to Anfield a few months later felt radically different.

 

With stadiums once again packed, this late-summer teatime encounter put two championship contenders against each other, clubs who had both won their first two Premier League matches without conceding a goal.

 

 

 

Tuchel's freshly crowned European champions took the lead on 22 minutes thanks to a Kai Havertz header, but Mohamed Salah equalized with a penalty in first-half stoppage time after Reece James was sent off for handball on the line.

 

 

 

The Reds led for the majority of the second half, but were disappointed by Chelsea's well-drilled and tenacious defensive defense.

 

 

"I enjoyed the game," Klopp said. Look, a few years ago, we beat Chelsea, I believe 2-1 or 2-0, and Mo Salah scored in the far corner, which was not a chance – a nice goal, but not a chance.

 

 

 

"Obviously, we had larger opportunities in the first half that we didn't score on, so the performance was incredibly outstanding against the best Chelsea side in a long, long time... Chelsea put in a good shift as well, which I admire."

 

 

 

2-2 draw between Chelsea and Liverpool on January 2, 2022

0-0 draw with Liverpool (10-11 penalty shootout) – February 27, 2022