What do Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho all have in common?
Well, each of them has spent time coaching a European superpower, but that's not exclusive to this trio. In fact, they've all had rather different career paths. Klopp has built his legacy by waking Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool from their slumbers, taking both teams from the doldrums to the heights of the game.
Mourinho's early success wasn't too dissimilar to the German's, though in the last decade he's been more of a chequebook manager who's prone to throwing his toys out of the pram.
And Solskjaer? He took the road less travelled, with Manchester United handing the Norwegian the reigns in 2018, despite his only previous first-team coaching experience coming at Molde and Cardiff City.
Though he's very much a new-comer to the top level, Ole has proved he's capable of pulling the occasional rabbit out of the hat.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola knows that more than most, with United's 1-0 victory in Wednesday night's EFL Cup semi-final clash seeing Solskjaer secure his second away win against the Catalan.
That's where we find the common thread that links him with Klopp and Mourinho. According to Opta, they're the only three managers to deal Guardiola two home defeats, the Portuguese twice trumping his rival during their days at Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.
That pair of wins at Camp Nou came in 2011 and 2012, demonstrating how rare it is for Pep to be outwitted on his own turf.
Of course, things are a little different with Klopp. He's currently leading a rampant Reds side towards a maiden Premier League title, with Liverpool dropping points in only one top-flight fixture this term.
It's not luck that's guiding them, it's the genius and passion of the man in charge. The 52-year-old has been laying the foundations for several years, highlighted by Liverpool's 5-1 destruction of City in the 2017/18 Champions League quarter-final.
That triumph included a 2-1 comeback victory at the Etihad Stadium, while Klopp's only other win away to Guardiola came via a penalty shootout in the DFB Pokal semis five years ago.
There should be no doubting how impressive Solskjaer's achievement is. He's keeping company with two of the finest minds in football coaching history, but does that make up for the struggles the Red Devils have endured during his tenure?
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Source : 90min