Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp expecting Leeds United and 'world class' Marcelo Bielsa to provide stern test

Jurgen Klopp is expecting 'world class' Marcelo Biesla to provide Liverpool with the toughest of tests as the Reds begin their Premier League title defence this weekend.

The Anfield outfit host Leeds United on Saturday evening in front of the Sky Sports cameras as both teams lift the curtain on the new campaign behind closed doors.

It will be the Whites' first top flight outing in 16 years with Bielsa's newly-promoted outfit preparing to take on last year's runaway champions.

The Argentine has been shaping his squad away from the spotlight after a short pre-season amid the swift turnaround this summer.

Klopp, who was speaking to BBC 5Live ahead of the opening day encounter, is expecting Bielsa and Leeds to provide stern opposition for his players.

"We have a really tough start," he said. "We start against Leeds United [who have been] waiting 16 years to be back in the Premier League.

"First game. World class manager. All that stuff. They're coming to Liverpool. It's a historical game that will be very, very tough with the specific way Leeds play.

"Then we go to Chelsea and Arsenal is coming after so that's a tough start.

"We have to be ready. We have to be full of desire again. We have to be ready to make the hard runs and the intense runs. It's what we try to prepare.

"In the end the difference can be made in how much it means to you and we have to show how much it means to us and hopefully we can start with that on Saturday."

Asked whether opposition teams have extra motivation now Liverpool were reigning Premier League champions, Klopp added: "I know people will tell me that everybody wants to beat us because we are champions.

"But I didn't see a team last year who didn't want to beat us with all that they have.

"We won the Champions League the year before and now we've won the Premier League everybody so they want to beat us - that doesn't change really.

"It's about us [needing] to prove that and [to] be ready for a fight in each game because nobody will give us points just because we are Liverpool."