Klopp: Brazil want to play like Liverpool

Manager Jurgen Klopp says Brazil boss Tite wants the five-time world champions to play like Liverpool.

Tite has reinvigorated Brazilian football, overseeing nine successive wins since his appointment as the South American giants became the first nation to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Brazil routed Uruguay 4-1 before crushing Paraguay 3-0 during the international break, with Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho helping spearhead Tite’s men.

And Klopp has revealed Brazil are trying to style themselves on the high-octane play of Liverpool, who face Everton in Saturday’s Premier League Merseyside derby.

“Tite obviously likes the way we play – we had a lot contact and I am not 100 per cent sure but I think he wants to do something similar,” Klopp said.

“We had a few conversations, not with him personally because we have language issues, but there is a guy in his staff who speaks English and he likes the way we play.”

Firmino led the line for Brazil in their two CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying fixtures against Uruguay and Paraguay.

The forward impressed in both matches, having struggled for game time under former boss Dunga – who was replaced by Tite following the Copa America Centenario.

“I know your thoughts when we started playing Roberto as number nine. Now he is playing for Brazil as a nine and that is maybe not the worst idea,” added Klopp.

“It was good for him and it was especially good for Phil. He scored a wonderful goal. In the second game it looked good, fluent, hopefully it is good for us on Saturday.

“If you saw the games then Roberto didn’t score, but he opened nearly all the situations. It is unbelievable.

“You think how did they have that much space in and around the box and it was Roberto all over the pitch. He did a really good job.

“When I saw them I thought they would actually look tired, but they weren’t. There was a really big smile on their face. From the mental side it was a big thing.”