We take at Liverpool’s early kick-off record following international breaks since Jurgen Klopp took over in 2015, with the German often citing the Red’s unfair treatment when it comes to scheduling.
How Many Times Have Liverpool Played the Early Kick-Off After the International Break?
Taking into account every time Liverpool have played the early kick-off after the international break since Jurgen Klopp arrived in England, there have been a remarkable 14 occasions.
That figure is made all the more astonishing when looking at the team with the next-nearest post-international 12:30 kick-offs – Tottenham – who have featured in just six within the same time frame.
It is no wonder Jurgen Klopp has consistently bemoaned the scheduling for his side, most recently launching a scathing attack at the league in relation to Liverpool’s upcoming early kick-off affair with Manchester City on Saturday.
That will mark the 15th time Liverpool have faced a 12:30 fixture immediately following the international break, but also Jurgen Klopp’s 40th overall since taking charge eight years ago.
What Has Jurgen Klopp Said About Early Kick-Offs?
As mentioned, Jurgen Klopp has long been a stern adversary to the Premier League‘s scheduling, which granted has victimised Liverpool an alarming amount.
Klopp’s criticisms of the early kick-offs are countless, almost to the point where it has become a comical reoccurrence – particularly after international breaks.
Following their most recent victory against Brentford prior to the November break, Klopp said:
“Now they are all gone and we can train once before Manchester City. How can you put a game like this on Saturday at 12.30pm?
“Honestly, the people making these decisions, they cannot feel football, it is just not possible. And it is the moment where the world pays the most to see a football game.
“These two teams could have, all together, about 30 international players. They all come back on the same plane by the way, all the South American players.”
Liverpool’s Early Kick-Off Record Under Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp will have the police to blame for the latest rescheduling who cited fears of previous crowd trouble in this fixture, which of course is harder to prevent under the cover of darkness.
It marks the third time in as many matches following the international break that they will be forced to line-up early on Saturday. Luckily for Liverpool, their fortunes in weekend openers have so far fared positively this term, although the same can not be said for previous seasons.
Although it is largely reflective of their underwhelming performances last season, 2022/23 saw them go winless across six early kick-offs, which is potentially worse than their sole victory among eight from 2017/18 – depending on which way you look at it.
City head into this weekend odds-on across UK betting sites – whether that is down to Liverpool’s sticky record in early kick-offs, or perhaps the memory of the 4-1 thumping in the repeat of this fixture, it is unclear.
However, they look far more equipped to deal with the champions this time around, in what could well be a pivotal afternoon in the title race.
- 2015/16 – 2W / 1D / 1L
- 2016/17 – 2W / 1D / 1L
- 2017/18 – 1W / 6D / 1L
- 2018/19 – 3W / 0D / 0D
- 2019/20 – 3W / 0D / 0D
- 2020/21 – 1W / 2D / 1L
- 2021/22 – 5W / 0D / 0D
- 2022/23 – 0W / 3D / 3L
- 2023/24 – 2W / 0D / 0D (so far)
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