MY ACCOUNT
Sven-Goran Eriksson believes Liverpool and Manchester City are the two best teams in the world and talked up the possibility of the Premier League rivals meeting in this season’s Champions League final.
The two teams have led the way in England in recent years, winning each of the last four Premier League titles between them and being the two front-runners again this season.
City sit one point ahead of the Reds at the top of the table, with the two rivals set to meet in a crunch clash at the Etihad Stadium next weekend.
However, while Jurgen Klopp won the 2019 Champions League with Liverpool, Pep Guardiola is yet to taste success in Europe’s premier competition with City, despite reaching last season’s final.
Eriksson outlined why he thinks both English sides stand out at the top of European football at the moment.
“I think Liverpool and Manchester City are the two best football teams in the world in this moment,” he said. “Barcelona is not what it has been in many, many years. Real Madrid, so and so. Bayern Munich? Paris Saint Germain? No, I don’t think so. So these two teams for me are the best in the world.
“They play the best football and they defend extremely well, both of them. They attack very good, different styles a little bit. But both managers are doing a great, great job with a lot of good football players. When these two meet, it’s incredible if you look at the value of these 22 [players] starting the game. And also the benches.
“So, good coaches, of course good managers, but also many, many good football players. There are two extremely expensive teams going out next Sunday.”
Eriksson, who managed City in the 2007-2008 season, has backed both teams to go all the way in the Champions League, therefore potentially meeting in the final in Paris.
Both play their respective quarter-final first legs on Tuesday, with his former club hosting Atletico Madrid while Liverpool travel to Benfica.
“I think they have the capacity to win, both of them, easily,” the former England manager added. “You’re talking about ‘the players are tired’ and so on, they can change the level, and the strength of the team will not change anything. They have a lot of good football players.
“I’m quite sure that Liverpool goes to [the] semi-final and because they play Benfica, another [former] team of mine. I’d like them to give Liverpool a hard time.
“City have a little bit more [of a] difficult [tie], they play Atletico Madrid at home.
“Both of them can go to the final in Champions League, I’m quite sure about that.”
