Jurgen Klopp: 'Stoke City always a difficult side to play'

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is expecting a tough afternoon when his side take on Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

The Reds head to Staffordshire on the back of a mixed run of form, having been held to a 2-2 draw by Bournemouth last time out to see their recent momentum come to a halt.

Stoke have endured a disappointing run, meanwhile, losing three matches in a row to drop into mid-table obscurity, with Klopp claiming that the Potters now have little left to play for in the remaining weeks.

"They are a good team," he told reporters. "[They have had] different performances obviously, not the best results but are still really good and always difficult to play.

"Stoke isn't an easy place to be, everyone knows that. We have analysed, we don't know about their lineup but their style of play is pretty clear. Most of the things are clear.

"They are one of two or three teams that don't fight for one thing or another. They are in a comfortable situation."

Liverpool have won six of their last seven league meetings with Stoke, with the exception being the 6-1 thrashing on the final day of the 2014-15 season.