Liverpool vs. Bordeaux: Jurgen Klopp's Key Comments from Pre-Match Presser

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp mocked his own defensive shortcomings as a player as he hailed Bordeaux boss Willy Sagnol as "world class" ahead of the pair's meeting in the Europa League on Thursday.

Speaking about Sagnol's career as a right-back with the likes of Monaco and Bayern Munich, Klopp was highly complimentary of the Frenchman, while putting down his own defensive skills.

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The German said Thursday's encounter would reveal which approach is the best for management when they face off in Group B, per the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce:

"Willy Sagnol was one of best full-backs I ever saw. He played sometimes German style. I've never met him until now. He (Sagnol) was a world-class full-back, I was a non-league full-back. We will see what works better."

The Reds come into the Bordeaux clash on the back of a magnificent 4-1 drubbing of Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.

A victory over the Ligue 1 outfit would confirm Liverpool's place in the knockout stages of the Europa League, and it could see them go top of Group B should Sion fail to beat Rubin Kazan.

The reverse fixture back in September—when Brendan Rodgers was in charge of Liverpool—ended in a 1-1 draw.

Having started them both on the bench against City, Klopp confirmed that strike duo Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke are in contention to play against Bordeaux, but Martin Skrtel is a doubt, per Jacob Murtagh in the Mirror:

"The best news is that Daniel is becoming closer and closer, he can train seven or eight times in a row. That will help him and us. Benteke in good shape, when he came here he was injured, now many sessions with the team. When you have footballers, you solve one problem and you have another one. Skrtel is a little ill."

If the Reds can produce a similar performance to that against City on Thursday they will surely claim all three points versus Bordeaux.

However, Klopp has won only one home game since he took over at Liverpool, a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth in the Capital One Cup.

His other matches at Anfield have returned two draws and a defeat, but the German manager played down his side's poor home form, per the club's Twitter feed:

Winning the Europa League should be a genuine aim for Liverpool this season, and confirming their passage from the group stages with a victory at Anfield on Thursday would be a big boost with a game to spare.

A loss to Bordeaux, though, would leave the Reds teetering on the edge of a potential early exit from the competition and set up a tense final group encounter away at Sion on Dec. 10.