Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola put their wits against each other when Liverpool faced Manchester City on Sunday but the game ended in a draw.
The hosts were the better team, especially in the first half. City, on another day, could’ve scored three or four goals before half-time, but Liverpool held on.
Whatever Klopp said at half-time worked as the Reds equalised right after the break and the game ended 2-2, keeping the title race exactly where it was before kickoff.
At full-time, Klopp and Guardiola embraced each other and BBC pundit Micah Richards spotted the Liverpool boss doing something strange.
Klopp stopped smiling just two seconds after hugging Guardiola
The two managers congratulated each other after the game and Guardiola, surprisingly, was a bit aggressive with his handshake. Richards saw Klopp smile as he hugged the Manchester City boss, but the German’s reaction completely changed just two seconds after, which is strange.
On The Monday Night Club on BBC 5 Live Sport, host Kelly Cates asked: “Did you see the half high-five, half-handshake that Pep Guardiola went in on at Jurgen Klopp at full-time?”
Richards jokingly responded: “I thought he was going full Will Smith,” referring to what happened at the Oscars this year. “He sort of went and then hugged.”
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“Did you see after though? When they hugged, Klopp smiled for about two seconds, and then, as soon as he got past him, he went straight into straight-face. Normally, Klopp is the merrier of the two, but there’s something in him from that game that Pep seemed the happier of the two managers.”
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Richards is right, Klopp is definitely the merrier of the two managers, and it is strange that he went from a wide smile to the completely opposite expression in a matter of two seconds.
Klopp’s reaction, however, is warranted as his side weren’t anywhere near their best.
If City were more clinical, they could’ve run away with the game, but Liverpool deserve immense praise for picking up a point in what was arguably their hardest game of the season yet.
The title race is still very much alive but City have an easier run-in to the end of the season compared to Liverpool. That gives them an edge, but football is a funny game and things could change very quickly.
