Pep Guardiola has heaped praise on Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah ahead of today’s Community Shield at the King Power Stadium.
Manchester City return to the UK for the match after winning both of their US tour fixtures, while Klopp's side return after a mixed pre-season in Europe and Asia.
The fixture won't be held at Wembley due to the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 final being played at the national stadium tomorrow.
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Speaking in his pre-match press conference via mancity.com, Guardiola stressed that his side are wary of the threat posed by Salah.
“I’m not saying something new because all of us in this room know him (Salah),” said the City manager. “He’s an exceptional player, an incredible threat, a top goalscorer and we know that he’s quality.”
Salah has scored seven goals in 15 appearances against the champions, but did crucially draw a blank in last season’s title decider at the Etihad. The 30-year-old will be hoping to rectify this in today’s game.
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The Egyptian netted 31 times across all competitions last season for the Reds, and has scored 156 goals in 254 appearances during his time on Merseyside.
With his left-sided counterpart Sadio Mane leaving Anfield this summer for Bayern Munich, there will be extra pressure on Salah to replicate his brilliant form in the upcoming season.
Despite Jurgen Klopp adding £85 million signing Darwin Nunez to his ranks, the Uruguayan is likely to take time to settle in, meaning Salah will once again carry the immense burden of being Liverpool’s talisman for another season.
Today's encounter with City will be a good indication of how prepared the Reds are for the new campaign.
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The Citizens may have lost Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling this summer, but the addition of Erling Haaland is only likely to make them stronger, and Liverpool will have to be at the top of their game to compete with this relentless team once again.
Topics: Liverpool, Manchester City, Mohamed Salah, Community Shield