Jurgen Klopp criticising Kyle Walker is a bit rich, especially when he mocks Bayern's results

German should be careful when throwing stones in glass houses

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool take on Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Uefa Champions League. The first leg is at Anfield on Tuesday. AFP

When Jurgen Klopp criticised Manchester City defender Kyle Walker last month for mocking Liverpool's failure to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points, most observers would have sided with the German for taking the moral high ground.

England international Walker posted a tweet on January 31 after Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester City at Anfield the previous evening, a day after title rivals Manchester City suffered a surprise defeat to Newcastle United.

Walker posted a picture of Harry Maguire, scorer of Leicester’s equaliser, talking to his partner Fern Hawkins with the caption: “So basically they thought they were gonna go 7 points ahead...”

The post was later deleted.

Klopp said he was unaware of the post when asked about it at his pre-match press conference, but claimed: “I never celebrated that another team dropped points or lost a game. For me that’s not allowed."

However, those of us with long memories, and the ability to make the most of a quick Google search, will remember Klopp has indulged in a little schadenfreude himself in the past, particularly when it comes at the expense of Bayern Munich, who just so happen to be the next visitors to Anfield, on Tuesday, when Klopp's Liverpool face the German champions in the first leg of the Uefa Champions League last 16.

In March 2016, during a post-match interview in which Liverpool's manager was asked about results in the Premier League, Klopp, unprompted, brought up Bayern's result that weekend, a defeat in the Bundesliga to Mainz, one of Klopp's former clubs.

Klopp has a long history with Bayern. After seemingly holding something of an Indian sign over the Bavarians with five wins in a row during Borussia Dortmund's title-winning campaigns in 2011 and 2012, Klopp's Dortmund would only go on to win three of the next 13.

The most heartbreaking of those defeats would come in the 2013 Champions League final when Arjen Robben's last-minute goal clinched a 2-1 victory.

Klopp's overall record against Bayern reads eights victories in 29 matches while losing twice as many, so it's fair to say Bayern have the upper hand in meetings.

Regardless of your position on a grown man laughing at his own jokes, the fact Klopp was tickled by Bayern's defeat makes his criticisim of Walker for mocking Liverpool's result a little rich.

A case of the pot calling the kettle black, Jurgen?