Liverpool still have “the same character” under Arne Slot as they had with former manager Jurgen Klopp, says RB Leipzig boss Marco Rose.
The German knows Klopp well having spent six seasons playing for him at Mainz.
He is set to work with him again after Klopp controversially took on a role with the owners of the Reds’ next Champions League opponents Leipzig and has praised the amount he has learned from him already.
“As a coach, you can learn a lot from him. We might not always have been of the same opinion, but how he leads a group is unique, his honesty. Then it is especially about defending that I learned from him a lot,” Rose told a pre-match news conference.
“He is a great personality and a great person. I loved working together with him and I’m happy that we’ll work together again.”
Despite keeping a close relationship, with Klopp taking a break in Mallorca before starting his new job, Rose has not been asking him for tips on beating Liverpool on Wednesday night.
New Reds boss Slot has tweaked things since his arrival, but the Leipzig coach still sees similarities in the side to that of his old boss.
“I wouldn’t say it has really changed,” Rose added. “The game of Liverpool is very intense. Still Liverpool are very strong in pressing situations, they defend very well, it is an intense game. They are a very robust team, physically strong on and off the ball.
“It is the same character Liverpool had under Klopp, very dominant like in the old days.
“Slot does it in his own way of course with some different mechanisms but everything is clear. They are uncomfortable to defend against with high quality, a lot of vertical play, and a lot of possession.”