Carlo Ancelotti is a '˜smart fox' insists Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp

The Serie A side’s coach, who has experience of facing Klopp at Borussia Dortmund when he was Bayern Munich boss, praised the work the German had done at Anfield and the progress he has made.

Ancelotti said Klopp was “a difficult adversary, a friend; his teams are very dynamic, aggressive, they stand up a lot, they always have an identity”, and they had gone up a level since reaching the Champions League final in May.

However, Klopp laughed it off ahead of their League Group C encounter in Naples.

“I like Carlo Ancelotti, he is a fantastic guy. As we say in Germany ‘He is obviously a smart fox’,” said the Reds boss.

“He says all these positive things about us and all these nice things about me is nice but it is tactics, it starts already.

“Carlo is so long in the business and he wants to bring the nice fella out in me but I am ready for a real battle.

“I don’t care too much what people say about us in the moment. Yes we have performed on a consistent, OK, level in the last few weeks but tomorrow we need to make the next step up in our development. This is a fantastic manager, a fantastic football team and a very emotional crowd so that will be a challenge.”

Liverpool return to the Stadio San Paolo for the first time since October 2010, when they earned a goalless draw.

Liverpool travelled without midfielder Adam Lallana, who has yet to recover from a groin strain but will have a benchtonight which will have the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabinho.

Klopp is also making his return to the stadium for the first time since he was sent off as Borussia Dortmund manager in 2013 for an angry outburst at the fourth official. The German insists he has learned his lesson since.

“It was not my best idea. I reacted in a way which was not OK. I still understand why I was not happy, only the reaction was too much.”