Riise expects 'amazing' Liverpool-Man City Champions League tie

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The former Reds defender knows plenty about all-English European ties, and he's ready for a classic encounter at Anfield this week.

Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Roberto Firmino, Sergio Aguero.

Liverpool, Manchester City. The Champions League quarter-final. Noise, colour, drama, passion, goals.

It’s been on his mind since the draw was made over in Nyon a fortnight ago. What a prospect, what a treat, what a tie.

“It is going to be amazing,” he smiles. “I am going to make sure I am there!”

The former Liverpool defender can speak from experience when it comes to all-English European knockout ties, of course. Riise played in no fewer than four of them during his time at Anfield – and you can add two group stage games with Chelsea to that, too. Yep, he knows what it’s like to face a domestic rival on the European stage.

He knows what it’s like to beat them, as Liverpool did to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea (twice) in Champions League semi-finals and to Arsenal once in a quarter-final. He also knows how it feels to come unstuck, as the Reds did against Avram Grant’s Chelsea in 2008. Riise’s own goal in the first leg of that tie proved to be a killer blow to Rafa Benitez’s side.

“There is more to lose to these teams because they are from the same league,” he says. “That can make it a little more tense going into the game.

“Everyone enjoys travelling away, seeing new stadiums and meeting new players from different countries, that is always exciting about the Champions League. But at the same time we know all the players, the stadiums and there is not far to travel, so that can be helpful.

“But for me the pressure is more on City; they are playing amazing football and are expected to go all the way. They are playing football like I’ve never seen, but if you want to win the Champions League you have to beat the best teams any way. Obviously we could have got an easier draw but it may be helpful.

“Liverpool players know what Anfield can do on Champions League nights, the City players know what Anfield can do.”

They certainly do. Pep Guardiola’s side have rightly earned plaudits across the football world for their performances this season. They will be deserving Premier League champions, whether that is confirmed this weekend or next.

But Liverpool showed in January that they can compete with City – their 4-3 win is the only defat suffered by Guardiola’s side in the league so far this term – and with Guardiola unlikely to deviate from his open, attacking game-plan, the expectation is that we are in for a refreshingly open tie. Jurgen Klopp, indeed, stated that this is the tie he would choose to watch as a neutral.

Unsurprisingly Riise, always one for the front foot as a player, agrees.