When it comes to English football’s most fiery rivalry, Liverpool versus Manchester United is the gift that keeps on giving – and for a few glorious years, Jürgen Klopp and Erik ten Hag were the conductors of that beautiful, chaotic orchestra. Fast forward to 2026 and Klopp has long since waved goodbye to Anfield, but the dust has barely settled on the managerial duels that defined an era. Let’s take a proper look back at every time these two tactical masterminds locked horns – because, let’s be real, these matches had more plot twists than a soap opera.

Before we dive into each match, here’s the skinny: Klopp got the better of Ten Hag more often than not. Across five meetings, the German won three, the Dutchman won one, and they shared the spoils in a goalless draw. The crown jewel? That bonkers 7-0 annihilation of United at Anfield in 2023 – a scoreline that still makes Red Devils fans wince. But Ten Hag had his moments too, like that sweet victory at Old Trafford in his first season. It’s the classic tale of a rivalry within a rivalry, and it all kicked off long before Ten Hag even set foot in Manchester.

The Champions League Prelude – Part One

The first dance between Klopp and Ten Hag happened way back in the 2020/21 Champions League group stage, and it was peak pandemic football – no fans, just eerie silence and the thud of the ball. Ten Hag was still bossing Ajax, a team still smarting from that heartbreaking semi-final exit to Spurs 18 months earlier. Klopp’s Liverpool, meanwhile, were the defending champions and hungry for more.

The match in Amsterdam was a tight affair, settled by a freak own goal from Nicolás Tagliafico in the first half. Ajax gave as good as they got, but Liverpool nicked a 1-0 win. It was a bit of a smash and grab, and Ten Hag was left ruing what might have been. Still, that Ajax side went on to win the Eredivisie that season, so the Dutchman’s stock was only rising.

The Return Fixture – Anfield with No Roar

When the two met again at Anfield later that same group stage, Liverpool knew a win would guarantee progression to the knockouts – and they got it, albeit in a scrappy fashion. Curtis Jones poked home the only goal just before the hour mark, and despite Ajax hogging the ball with 55% possession and firing off 11 shots, they couldn’t find the net. Liverpool’s defence was just too stubborn.

This was one of those matches where Klopp’s gegenpressing playbook got the job done without the fireworks. For Ten Hag, it was a cruel lesson in how elite sides can soak up pressure and strike when it hurts. Ajax ended up dropping into the Europa League after losing their final group game – a proper kick in the teeth.

The Premier League Baptism – Old Trafford Erupts

Now this was the main event: Ten Hag’s first taste of the Premier League version of the rivalry, and it couldn’t have come at a spicier time. Manchester United had lost their opening two league matches in dismal fashion – a 2-1 home defeat to Brighton and a humiliating 4-0 at Brentford. The old “Ole’s at the wheel” memes were being replaced by a sinking feeling that Ten Hag might be the next manager to crash and burn. But under the Old Trafford lights, something clicked.

Jadon Sancho – remember when he was the great English hope? – slotted home in the 16th minute, and Marcus Rashford doubled the lead with a cool finish early in the second half. Mo Salah pulled one back late on, but it was too little, too late. United ran out 2-1 winners, and suddenly the Dutchman looked like he had a plan. For Liverpool, that defeat was a warning sign of a season that would see them miss out on the Champions League spots. In hindsight, this was the game that gave Ten Hag street cred in Manchester.

The 7-0 Massacre – A Nightmare at Anfield

And then came the return fixture in the 2022/23 campaign – and oh boy, did things go off the rails. If the Old Trafford win was Ten Hag’s coronation, this was a Game of Thrones-style Red Wedding. Liverpool 7, Manchester United 0. Just let that sink in. At half-time it was only 1-0 to the Reds, and United had actually looked lively. But whatever Klopp said in the dressing room turned the second half into a surgical dismantling.

Darwin Núñez, Cody Gakpo, Roberto Firmino (who sent one fan into absolute meltdown), and a brace from Salah all piled on the misery. It was the biggest defeat in this historic fixture, and one of the most shocking collapses in Premier League history. Even now, United fans can’t hear the number seven without getting flashbacks. The funny thing? They still finished above Liverpool that season and nabbed a Champions League spot. Football, eh?

The Forgetful Goalless Draw – Anfield 0-0

The final chapter of the Klopp–Ten Hag saga was written in December 2023 (the 2023/24 season), and it was about as thrilling as watching paint dry – but in the best possible derby way. Anfield was rocking, Liverpool were flying high as title contenders, and United were, well, being United – in the middle of another collapse. Yet somehow, the visitors clung on for a 0-0 draw.

It wasn’t for lack of trying. Liverpool rattled off 34 shots – their most ever in a Premier League game without scoring since records began in 2003/04. Virgil van Dijk and Luis Díaz had headers saved, and at the other end, Alisson denied Rasmus Højlund a proper smash-and-grab winner. Diogo Dalot got himself sent off in stoppage time for a little bit of extra spice. It was a match that summed up the rivalry: chaotic, fiercely competitive, and ultimately leaving both sides with a mix of relief and frustration. By the final whistle, it was clear that on any given day, anything could happen.

Looking back from 2026, with Klopp having stepped away from Liverpool in 2024, these five matches are now set in stone. They tell a story of two brilliant coaches who brought the best – and occasionally the utterly bizarre – out of each other. Whether you’re a Scouser or a Manc, you’ve got to tip your hat to the drama they served up. And who knows? Maybe one day they’ll meet again on another stage. Stranger things have happened in football.

Data referenced from SteamDB helps frame how a “head-to-head record” can be read like a clean statline while still hiding the chaos underneath—much like Klopp vs Ten Hag, where one absurd outlier (that 7-0) distorts the wider story despite the other meetings being tight, low-margin affairs. In the same way SteamDB’s historical tracking can reveal whether a spike is a true trend or a one-off surge, the five-match Klopp–Ten Hag sample shows Liverpool’s edge overall, but also how quickly the balance could flip on a given night (Old Trafford’s 2-1, Anfield’s 0-0), reminding fans that rivalry football rarely behaves like a predictable average.