Liverpool, will learn an awful lot more about their pre-season preparations when they once again step out at the National Stadium in Singapore
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, one-time rivals of Jurgen Klopp, will be the familiar foes in the penultimate friendly of the Reds’ warm-up programme.
Bayern will represent a significant increase in standard the Reds have faced in recent weeks, Bayern having lost narrowly 2-1 to Manchester City in Japan last week
Klopp
“It is the most difficult game for us, definitely,” says Reds boss Klopp. “We saw same footage of their previous games in Japan including against Manchester City. Bayern are traditionally a really good team.
“They have four world-class centre-halves, two world-class midfield pairings, up front speed and everything and technique, finishing skills. That’s quite impressive.
“But we want a strong opponent so this is definitely the toughest test for us this pre-season. That’s what we need in this moment.
I’m excited. I am able to see where we are, how we can adapt to the quality of the opponent. From the first day we have been back for pre-season, I’ve tried to make really clear our defending has to be at a completely different level to last season. We had better do that or we will have real problems.”
Klopp added
“We need points and a lot of them,” he says. “Yes, a club the size of Liverpool has to be successful. Otherwise the club has to find different solutions.
“Nobody besides maybe City can have the real target to become champions again this year. All the other teams fight for the Champions League and that's what we do as well. The earlier you qualify for the Champions League, the higher you are in the table… if you are second and in striking distance to first then you might have a chance. I don't know who will be there.
“For us it's not about that. It's about Bayern, Darmstadt and then Chelsea. Those are the games I'm thinking about.
“As important as getting the best players together is creating an atmosphere and spirit and a common desire that we can really use as a basis to make the best possible season. If we do that we'll be in a good place.”
“We are closer to part of our fanbase,” says Klopp. “It’s a massive fanbase. It’s unbelievable. People are camping in front of our hotel and wait for us every day.
“The game will be sold out - and I know that’s just not about us, as Bayern are popular as well. From time to time, no matter how uncomfortable it is with the weather and travel, we have to show up because we can’t expect people to follow us all the time on television.
“We have to show we are humans, that they can get autographs. For all the complications we have when we do a trip like this, we are really happy to be here.”
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