Ilkay Gundogan: I see a lots of similarities between Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp

Posted Friday, March 24, 2017 by squawka.com

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan believes that there are many similarities between Pep Guardiola and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

Gundogan was signed by Guardiola at City, while he worked under the charismatic Klopp at Borussia Dortmund.

As reported by ESPN, Gundogan said: "I see a lot of similarities, to be honest, between both [coaches].

"Both have the ability to be a good friend to a player, with the way they speak to the players. They are both sympathetic. But they know the right moment when to be serious. For us players, that is a very important factor.

"Of course, what we do is what we love — we want to enjoy it, we want to have as much fun as possible. But we have to be serious and it is difficult to find the right balance. Both have that ability."

Guardiola and Klopp are widely seen as two of the standout managers in world football and it will be intriguing to see who comes out on top between them this campaign with City and Liverpool currently third and fourth respectively in the Premier League.

Gundogan, meanwhile, isn't scheduled to return to action until next season because of an ankle ligament rupture. The German midfielder has kept the ball when he has featured this season, registering an average pass accuracy of 92% in the Premier League.

There certainly hasn't been much to choose from between Guardiola and Klopp's teams this campaign. While City have completed fewer passes and conceded fewer goals in the Premier League, Liverpool have scored on more occasions and have also created a greater amount of chances.