Pep Guardiola believes Anfield’s atmosphere is unrivalled in world football.
Guardiola went toe-to-toe with Liverpool in last season’s Premier League title race as Manchester City pipped their closest challenger by a solitary point.
The Catalan has experienced the Reds’ iconic stadium both as a player and coach, first during Barcelona’s UEFA Cup semi-final defeat back in April 2001.
But he has never won in five previous visits to the red half of Merseyside as becoming City manager, including a Champions League quarter-final encounter.
And Guardiola admits the power of Anfield was evident as Barcelona crashed out in May’s iconic semi-final encounter as Liverpool overturned a three-goal deficit.
“I thought they’d score a goal at Anfield, and I am sure the players knew that Anfield is Anfield,” he told Catalan newspaper ARA.
“The motto ‘This is Anfield’ is no marketing spin. There’s something about it that you will find in no other stadium in the world.
“They score a goal and over the next five minutes you feel that you’ll receive another four. You feel small and the rival players seem to be all over you.”