Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp on the touchline Getty Images

Liverpool play Manchester City in the finals of the Capital One Cup on 28 February as Jurgen Klopp looks to announce his arrival into English football with a trophy. The Reds have all but conceded defeat in the race to secure a place in the Champions League and are looking to give a good account of themselves at Wembley to resurrect their season.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 4.30pm GMT. The game will be telecast live on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports 1 HD.

Overview

Liverpool will be desperate to win the trophy, their first in four years since they won the League Cup under Kenny Dalglish in 2012. The former Reds manager could not save himself from the sack after failing to hold on to a top four spot but there is growing optimism at the club that it will be different under Klopp, who has been touted as the Reds' saviour. Should they win the trophy, it would be their ninth success in this tournament, more than any other club in the history of English football.

They come into the game in need of some inspiration, having managed only two wins in their last seven games and are currently eighth in the league. Their campaign in the Europa League has also failed to muster much confidence, travelling to the next round with a 1-0 win over the Bundesliga club Augsburg. However, their last league fixture saw them thump six goals past Aston Villa and should they be able to recreate this performance, it will go a long way in ending their trophy drought.

Meanwhile, City have made easy work of their route to the final, plundering goals past the likes of Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Hull City, only to be given their first test by another Merseyside club Everton in the semi-finals. The Toffees were leading the first leg 2-1 and had taken a 3-1 lead after scoring the first goal at the Etihad. However, City rode on the back of a brilliant performance from Sergio Aguero to win the tie 3-1 and make their way into the finals.

They will also be bolstered by their performance against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League, where a 3-1 win in Ukraine has all but sealed progression into the next round. Manuel Pellegrini is likely to field a full squad after resting a series of key players against Chelsea in the fifth round of the FA Cup, where they were comprehensively beaten by Guus Hiddink's men.

What managers say

Jurgen Klopp: "It's not about transfers, right player, big money. I don't care. If we have money, then take it, use it. If we don't have it, don't say 'we have not enough money' - try a different way. I am patient enough. I would like to win every game and I feel like really, really, really disappointed after a defeat. But, next morning, the sun shines again and you have the chance to do something new. That's what I love about this job."

Manuel Pellegrini: "For every player it is never comfortable to play against an old team," said Pellegrini. Everyone has links, friends inside the club. The Man City manager swooped last summer to bring in the England international, and can see him having a lot of success at the club. But he is a professional player. He came here to win titles. I'm sure he will have a very good performance. I don't think he has anything to prove. For him that motivation is very good. I hope he will be focused just on having a good performance and not thinking about the boos he receives during the game or what happened in the past. He is now a Manchester City player and he will try to win for us."

Betting odds

  • Liverpool win: 28/13
  • Draw: 40/17
  • Manchester City win: 23/17

Team news

Liverpool

Possible XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Toure, Lovren, Moreno; Henderson, Can; Milner, Firmino, Coutinho; Sturridge.

Manchester City

Possible XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho; Silva, Toure, Sterling; Aguero.