Boss: Man Utd clash one of the best things I can imagine

The German's second meeting with the Reds' old adversaries comes in the first leg of a Europa League last-16 tie at Anfield on Thursday - a match where the stakes are significantly higher than the usual league meetings between the sides.

Klopp is not daunted by the prospect of the double-header that awaits his team, however.

In fact, the manager could not be more excited, and has described the fixture as the type every young football player hopes to be involved in.

"That’s why I love football," he told reporters at a press conference to preview the first leg. 

"We all loved it when we were young of course and played it, and in each region in the world you have games like this. Not with these big names but big enough. 

"Being part of it, I still cannot have enough of this. Most of the time in my life I could not imagine I would be part of this but now I'll be sitting on the bench for Liverpool FC playing against Manchester United.

"It's still one of the best things I can imagine."

Thursday's game will see the latest chapter written in a rivalry between Klopp and Louis van Gaal that started during the pair's stints in charge of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich respectively.

The Reds boss played down any suggestions of enmity between the two managers, but says his priority is putting a huge dent in the Dutchman's hopes of silverware this term.

"I don’t believe in enemies in football, to be honest. I believe in real, real, real opponents and I like this," he added.

"I have absolutely no problem with Louis van Gaal but the last thing I want is that he wins in a game like this. 

"It was a difficult situation [for United] and maybe they're not completely through but we want to make their problems bigger. 

"At the end I’m pleased for him that he has changed it a bit but he has changed enough I would say, and we can win again, we don’t have to be sorry for Manchester United."

Klopp's first game against United ended in disappointment, as a late Wayne Rooney goal helped the Red Devils clinch a somewhat fortuitous 1-0 success at Anfield in January.

But the boss is insists he has little interest in his squad offering a reaction to a result that came so long ago in the season in Thursday's rematch.

In fact, he would rather see the players show they can cope with setbacks during a match, as was the case at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

"You cannot play this game without making mistakes, it's all about the reaction," he continued.

"In a game you miss a chance, you have to carry on, you concede a goal, you have to carry on. 

"Results like [against Palace] help, really, because then you start believing in it. I can say everything is easy, I don’t have to play, but the players have to feel it. 

"I saw in this game the reaction with one man down. We have to react on the things that happen in the game. 

"The last game against United was a little too long ago that I can use it but in our situation in this moment, in this season, we have to take what we can get. Everything. 

"It’s not the best position in the league, but it's okay, and it's a perfect position in the Europa League. Open game, no guaranteed result, we can fight for it - so do it."

The Reds were ravaged by injuries when they last faced Van Gaal's team but have since been boosted by the return of the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi, among others.

And Klopp wants his team to make the most of the fact that they are in a good place in terms of fitness and form ahead of tomorrow's fixture.

"It's a completely different situation, that's for sure, but I don't know who will be ready for tomorrow in this moment," he said.

"We now have training afterwards but we are in another situation. We have more players available, hopefully it stays like this and so we can make changes when we want to make changes, we don't have to make changes always when we don't want to make changes. 

"That's how it is. To use this is now our job, we have to use this situation in the moment because nobody knows how it is next week. 

"It's a better moment for us to play very important games but we have to show it on the pitch, not here."