Jurgen Klopp admits his strong bond with Liverpool has surpassed his own expectations as he declared: “We are a real competitor again.”

The Reds boss reflected on the opening three-and-a-half years of his Anfield reign ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League last 16 clash with old foes Bayern Munich.

Klopp, who took over in October 2015, has yet to clinch silverware with Liverpool, but hopes are high that he will end that wait over the coming months with his side chasing glory in both the Premier League and in Europe.

Asked how much he was in love with both the club and the city, Klopp said: “Very much, much more than I could have expected because you never know.

See what Jurgen Klopp had to say in his Bayern Munich press conference HERE

“The welcome was outstanding and since then it became better and better. That is the truth. We grew together and we developed together, all of us.

“I am not very often in the city but I feel in the stadium the mood and the atmosphere is really positive.

“For all the things we did together so far, we are a real competitor again. That is not enough but it is a very important step.

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“In a very competitive league and a very competitive Champions League, being qualified a second year in a row – and hopefully a third year in a row - is unusual because it didn’t happen too often in the past.

“Being in a situation where people think we can beat Bayern is a big thing, but we have to prove it. The story so far is a nice one, but it’s not finished yet.”

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It's a massive week for the Reds with the visit of Bayern followed by Sunday's Premier League trip to Manchester United.

After a 10-day break, which involved a training camp in Marbella, Klopp is confident that his players are well prepared for the challenges ahead.

“It's game by game - we cannot think about it in a different way,” he said.

“I don’t think if you ask Manchester United before they face Chelsea, then they are thinking about our game, I don’t think so.

“We had only tough months this season. There was not one month where we thought ‘oh good, only these opponents!’

“It’s always tough and we have to be ready for that and hopefully we are. We have to be 100% for the Bayern game, otherwise we don’t have a chance.

“We've used the time we had to work on some tactical things. The way we saw it, we prepared for the rest of the season and tried to prepare some tactical input and some fitness things. We needed the time to bring some players back too.

“What is best, having the rhythm or having the break? I don’t know, we can’t change it. We tried to use our situation. The answer maybe will be given on Tuesday night.”