Jurgen Klopp must finally overcome Roberto De Zerbi to guide Liverpool to glory

Jurgen Klopp has won a lot throughout his career.

He’s lifted the Bundesliga on two occasions with Borussia Dortmund. The German tactician won the DFB Pokal with BVB and triumphed twice in the DFL Super Cup.

Since the switch to Merseyside, Klopp has added to his trophy haul. With him in the dugout, the Reds have won a Premier League title, a Champions League, two Carabao Cups, an FA Cup, a Club World Cup and a European Super Cup.

One thing he hasn’t won, however, is a match against Roberto De Zerbi.

The Brighton boss is undefeated in four games against his German counterpart. It's a feat only Bert van Marwijk can better, with the former Netherlands coach avoiding defeat against Klopp on five occasions.

De Zerbi has turned the Seagulls into something of a bogey team for Liverpool. Though, having said that, the Reds have seemed to struggle against Brighton for quite some time. In fact, Klopp has orchestrated just one win in his last eight matches against Sunday’s opponents.

There have been four draws across this eight-game period but Brighton’s best performances against the Reds have come under De Zerbi. The Seagulls, under the former Sassuolo boss, have twice come from behind to claim a 3-3 and a 2-2 draw over the past two seasons.

They dismantled the Reds at the Amex on two occasions last term, running riot in a 3-0 win in the Premier League before knocking the Reds out of the FA Cup just a couple of weeks later.

De Zerbi’s record against Klopp is played four, won two, scored ten and conceded six.

The likelihood is that the Liverpool boss hasn’t even realised that his record against the former Shakhtar Donetsk manager isn’t great. He doesn’t seem the type to waste energy and time on that sort of thing and he’ll no doubt be focused on just picking up all three points to reclaim top spot.

But it is, perhaps, worth a little bit of extra attention this time around.

Klopp shouldn’t make this a personal battle but it's worth noting that some managers know how to get a result against certain opponents. So far, De Zerbi has proven himself to be a match for Klopp and if Liverpool are to beat Brighton, Klopp needs to beat De Zerbi. It's as simple as that.

So, maybe the Reds need to do something different if their boss is finally going to get one over on the Italian.

De Zerbi has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the summer to succeed Klopp. A one-off game isn’t going to do too much to impact how he’s viewed by the club but he does have the opportunity to leave an impression on those at Anfield. Despite their inconsistency this season and the injuries they’re having to contend with, you know he’s going to have his Brighton team really up for this visit to Merseyside.

For starters, it's a scalp that everyone wants. Ending Liverpool’s long unbeaten run at Anfield looks good on your CV. It also, potentially, lifts Brighton into seventh position depending on results elsewhere. A place in the Europa Conference League is still very much up for grabs if they end the season strongly.

From a personal point of view, this is a chance for De Zerbi to impress the decision-makers at Liverpool in person. Not that he needs to do much given the recent reports claiming new sporting director Richard Hughes is already a keen admirer of the Italian.

On the pitch, there’s a lot to play for. The Seagulls have European hopes while Liverpool want to put pressure on Manchester City and Arsenal ahead of their meeting on Sunday afternoon.

Away from the pitch, De Zerbi could become just the second manager to go five games without defeat against Klopp, while also nailing an audition for the top job at Anfield. Klopp, on the other hand, could claim his first victory over the Brighton boss, while bringing an end to the bogey team tag and lifting his team back into first place.

Lots to play for. Lots at stake. It could well be another fascinating match-up between the two sides.