Comparing a football fixture between two great teams to that of a heavyweight boxing clash may very well be the oldest analogy in sport. It is an easy one to conjure, after all. So it was no surprise to hear Jurgen Klopp reach for the same comparison in the wake of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
After seeing the best teams in England play out a pulsating, breathless contest for the second time this season, Klopp likened the pair to a couple of high-profile prizefighters.
"I know how intense it is," he said after the game. "Because the concentration levels in these games are incredible. I've said it before, it is like two boxers, two heavyweights. The moment you drop your arms you get such a knock in the middle of your face and then you have to get up again and you have to try to control it again."
