Portugal Colonial - Liverpool boss Klopp says Man City match no title-decider

Victory at the Etihad Stadium would give Liverpool an 11th successive league win and leave them two points ahead of City at the top of the table with seven games left to play.

But even if they succeed against City, there is no guarantee Liverpool will have a smooth finish to the season, with a derby against Everton and a clash with bitter rivals Manchester United to come before the end of this month.

Liverpool will make the short journey across the northwest to Manchester on the back of a 3-1 win away to Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, a result that has left the six-time European champions on the brink of the last four.

"If we win against City, which is already difficult enough, I think no one would think, 'that's it, decided', because of the quality of the opponent," Klopp told reporters on Wednesday.

"We play now against the best team in the world but we will give it a try anyway.

"Everyone knows about the importance of the next game, but after this game there will be other game in another competition but also in the Premier League as well.

"If you cannot be first you want to be second. If you are behind then you want to come closer. If you are close you want to overtake.

"That's the situation and we will give it a proper try."

Liverpool remain on course for an unlikely quadruple of trophies this season after already winning the English League Cup in February.

But German boss Klopp said: "We are in the (Champions League) quarter-final, the semi-final (of the FA Cup) and the further you go in competitions the harder it gets."

P.L.Madureira--PC