Diogo Jota says that he and Manchester City’s Portuguese players are ‘always discussing’ their rivalry with Liverpool during international duty.
Speaking to Viaplay Football (1min 45secs) after he scored Liverpool’s winning goal yesterday, Jota says that it’s a hot topic amongst his countrymen.
“Great team. Obviously we all know they (Man City) have some Portuguese guys as well, we all meet up now in the International team,” said the Liverpool forward.
“We always discuss that kind of rivalry. But when the game comes we’ll face it like every other one.”
Jota will have to put rivalries aside as Portugal aim to reach the World Cup in December. They will first have to beat Turkey on Thursday to be in with a chance to qualify.
A play-off final against Italy or North Macedonia will then lie in wait next Tuesday.
A different kind of rivalry
Although Liverpool’s relationship with Manchester City could never be called friendly, it’s hardly the biggest rivalry for either club, too.
There have been a few flashpoints in the past. But by and large it is a rivalry built on the pitch over the last several years. These are two teams competing at the highest level for the same trophies at the same time.
Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp generally have nothing but respect for one another and, as Jota alludes to, many of the players are friendly off the pitch.
However, that mutual respect could be put to the test this season. While Liverpool chase the quadruple, City are still quietly plotting their own historic treble.
One of the two teams will win the Premier League this season. They’ll also now go head-to-head in the FA Cup semi-final.
The two sides can’t meet until the final of the Champions League. But with both aiming to win the trophy, it would top it all off if they were to meet in Paris on May 28th.
It may not be quite as tasty off the pitch, but there’s no doubt that Liverpool and City are defining this era of English football.
Since their time in England, Guardiola has eight trophies to Klopp’s five. The Liverpool manager could draw level with Pep if his team were to do the seemingly impossible and win it all this season.
Should that happen at City’s expense, it might kick this simmering rivalry up a few notches.
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