Sometimes it can seem like the stars align in football in order to test specific clubs or individuals and Jurgen Klopp must be feeling that way after Liverpool were drawn against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Back in 2016, the peculiar magic of the draw paired the German coach with Borussia Dortmund, his former club, and three years later he has been forced back to familiar territory in order to lock horns with an intimate foe in the last 16 of UEFA’s premier club tournament.
The Premier League side could have drawn any one of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Porto, Juventus, Dortmund or Bayern and, as chance would have it, they are on their way to Bavaria, where Niko Kovac’s men lie waiting, ready to end their involvement in the competition.
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Klopp has taken the positives from the draw and Liverpool legend Ian Rush believes that the 51-year-old’s knowledge of German football will be an advantage for the Merseyside outfit.
But just how much of an advantage? What do the history books tell us?
Ahead of Liverpool’s last 16 ties against Bayern, Goal takes a look at Klopp’s record against Germany’s most successful club.
Jurgen Klopp’s record vs Bayern Munich
Klopp has managed a total of 29 games against Bayern Munich, but his record against the Bavarians is not particularly stellar.
Of those 29 matches, he has come out on top on just eight occasions, losing 16 times.
It took him 12 attempts to record his first victory over Bayern, which came on October 3, 2010.
*Competitive meetings only. Klopp managed Liverpool to a 3-0 win over Bayern in the 2017 Audi Cup, a friendly tournament.
Each of the Black Forest native’s eight wins over Bayern came during his tenure as Borussia Dortmund coach, having failed to overturn them while at Mainz.
Klopp enjoyed something of a golden streak against the Bavarians over the course of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 Bundesliga title-winning campaigns, beating them five times in a row.
However, the record declined after that and he managed just three wins in the subsequent 13 encounters, something that will no doubt be a concern for Liverpool fans.
Klopp has locked horns with Bayern in three finals (two DFB Pokal finals and a Champions League final), but his only triumph came in the 2012 DFB Pokal final, when they won 5-2.
He has enjoyed better luck against Bayern in three Supercups, coming out on the winning side twice.
Games between teams managed by Klopp and Bayern have tended to yield goals, so the upcoming matches should be exciting affairs.
When do Liverpool play Bayern Munich?
Liverpool will contest a two-legged tie against Bayern in the Champions League last 16 and the first leg is scheduled to take place at Anfield on February 19 .
The second leg will be held at Bayern’s Allianz Arena on March 13 .
Both games are scheduled to kick off at 8pm GMT (3pm ET).
How to watch & live stream Liverpool vs Bayern Munich
In the United Kingdom, Liverpool’s last 16 tie against Bayern will be available to watch live on television via BT Sport, who will also provide a stream on their app.
In the United States, the games will be available to stream live on B/R Live in English or Univision Deportes En Vivo in Spanish.