Klopp dealt Mourinho one of his worst defeats – now Chelsea boss faces nemesis knowing loss could mean sack

Facing a crunch match against Liverpool on Saturday, embattled Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho must confront an adversary who condemned him to one of the most painful defeats of his career.

Juergen Klopp, Liverpool’s new manager, was in charge of the Borussia Dortmund side who ousted Real Madrid in the 2012-13 Champions League semi-finals, dashing Mourinho’s dream of bringing the European Cup back to the Bernabeu in what he knew would be his final season at the club.

The pair resume hostilities with Mourinho reported to be facing the sack if results do not improve after the defending champions slumped to 15th place in the Premier League and were knocked out of the League Cup by Stoke City, but he has drawn hope from their recent upturn in performances.

Asked how hard it would be to lift his players after they relinquished their League Cup crown at Stoke, Mourinho said: “It’s difficult. But it’s more difficult when you play very badly and lose, than playing well and losing.

“How can [Eden] Hazard or Oscar or [John] Mikel [Obi] or John Terry, to say some names – I could say everyone – how can they go home with a lack of confidence? They played well. They didn’t make many mistakes.”