Virgil van Dijk has admitted he is ready to go to 'war' with close friend and international team-mate Nathan Ake when Liverpool face Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.
Jurgen Klopp's side make the short trip to the Etihad Stadium this weekend to take on a City side still going toe-to-toe with Arsenal for the Premier League crown, though the stakes are also high for the visitors as they look to keep hopes of a top-four finish alive.
The Reds currently sit seven points adrift of a Champions League place, with two games in hand, and mark their return from the international break with the toughest of tests. This fixture will see Van Dijk come up against Ake, whom he featured alongside for the Netherlands in European Championship qualifiers versus France and Gibraltar in recent days, but the former has insisted the pair's close relationship won't mean anything come Saturday afternoon.
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“I am very close with Nathan, also in everyday life," explained Van Dijk. "We live close to each other, our families get along very well and we see each other every week. Nat has been in a good flow all year but he is also modest. He is playing so well at the moment and is so important for our national team and Man City. He is achieving a very consistent level and people do not realise that is the hardest thing for a footballer to do.
"I am happy for him because I see what's going on behind the scenes and how much he's put in for it. On Saturday, he will probably be up against Mo Salah and hopefully we can get a good result. When the whistle blows, it's battle and a war on the pitch. After that, we pick up the friendship again and there are more important things in life than football.”
After taking on Pep Guardiola's men, Liverpool will then go head-to-head with Chelsea and Arsenal: an eight-day period which is set to have a major say as to whether or not the Reds will be participating in Europe's elite competition next term. Sizing up the task in hand, Van Dijk added: “I am going to recover in the next few days and then the focus will be on City. We are now in two very different situations. Manchester City are fighting for the title and we hope to force Champions League football. With games against City, Chelsea and Arsenal, it will be an interesting week for us.”
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