German managers have their own identity despite taking a similar path to England

Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp will face each other for the 18th time in Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.

The two managers from Germany have enjoyed great success since taking over at Chelsea and Liverpool respectively.

Here, the PA news agency takes a closer look at the rivals who have seen their careers continuously intertwine.

Management style

While the duo are gegenpressing disciples, they have their own twist on a tactic which has taken over the world. Klopp mixes the intense style of pressing high to win back possession with rapid counter-attacks which was perfectly encapsulated at the weekend when Mohamed Salah scored via an assist by goalkeeper Alisson Becker. It is a different story for Tuchel, who prefers his team to dominate possession with wing-backs key to his system.

Past meeting

The first battle between the pair occurred in 2009 when Tuchel, then of Mainz, held Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund to a goalless draw before he won the next encounter later in the season. Yet with Klopp managing the Black and Yellows in a golden period, he won seven of their 10 meetings in Germany. The tide has changed since with Liverpool unable to beat Tuchel’s Chelsea in three encounters over the past year. Overall, Klopp holds the upper-hand with nine wins from 17 meetings and the current Chelsea manager tasting success on only three occasions.

Trophies

Considering Tuchel’s first two jobs were Mainz and Dortmund, you could be forgiven for thinking the 48-year-old has spent the majority of his career in Klopp’s shadow but it is the former who has the more trophies by 10 to nine. Klopp has won Bundesliga twice, the DFB-Pokal and the DFL-Super Cup on two occasions during his time in Germany and has added the Premier League, Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup since he took over at Liverpool. Tuchel got off the mark by winning the DFB-Pokal in 2017 with Dortmund and added six further trophies at Paris St Germain. In a little more than a year with Chelsea, he has won the Champions League, Super Cup and Club World Cup.

This season

Success on Sunday will not be defining for either side but will contribute towards building much-needed momentum. Liverpool have seen the door unexpectedly open in the title race and victory at Wembley would add one trophy in a campaign where they could potentially win the quadruple with FA Cup and Champions League ties to come in March. Klopp will also be eager to make better Wembley memories after losing on penalties to Manchester City in the final in 2016. Chelsea have already won the Super Cup and Club World Cup this term but poor domestic form means they are way off the pace set by Manchester City in the Premier League. Add in the struggles of £97million man Romelu Lukaku and Tuchel will be keen to secure another accolade at Stamford Bridge to help should the waters become murky in the months ahead.