The hostile welcome that greeted Manchester City as they arrived at Anfield on Wednesday night has been shown from inside the team bus for the first time.
Manel Estiarte, a confidante of Pep Guardiola, has shared extraordinary footage of the view from inside the team bus as it was attacked ahead of theChampions League quarter-final tie.
Liverpool fans lined the streets around the ground in their thousands to provide a less than hospitable welcome on the approach.
Footage from inside the Manchester City coach attacked outside Anfield has been shared
Liverpool fans can be seen swearing at the City team bus as it made its way to the ground
Reds supporters lined the streets ahead of the Champions League quarter-final tie
Manel Estiarte (right) has worked closely alongside Pep Guardiola for 10 years now
The intimidating tactics seemed to work a treat as the Reds wiped out Guardiola’s side in a rampant opening 45 minutes of the first-leg.
Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane were all on target to hand Liverpool an emphatic lead ahead of the return leg at the Etihad Stadium next week.
And in the video, described by Estiarte as ‘unacceptable’ on Instagram, the behaviour of a section of Liverpool fans can be seen in a new light.
Supporters can be seen swearing at the team bus, throwing beer, missiles and lighting flares as City are given a police escort around the streets of Anfield.
City had feared that their coach would be targeted and it proved well-founded as it was bombarded with bottles, firecrackers, flares and other heavy objects when it became stuck in a bottleneck on Arkles Lane, which leads on to Anfield Road.
The coach continued to be pelted with objects as it crawled through plumes of red smoke.
Missiles were thrown at the team bus and windows smashed by the intimidatory tactics
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool condemned the behaviour of their fans on Wednesday night
The coach crawled through plumes of red smoke as fans let off flares before the game
No passengers were injured but the front window and driver’s door was smashed; City were enraged about the behaviour and hope those who inflicted the damage can be caught and prosecuted.
Such was the nature of the damage that City called for a replacement to take them back after the game.
The scene was a world away from the one that greeted the home players, as shared by James Milner in the hours after the match.
There the Liverpool players looked relaxed and in good spirits as they enjoyed a rapturous welcome from the home fans.
The violence was condemned by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after the game.
He said: ‘I really don’t understand. There was a lot of talks before. We tried everything to avoid a situation like that.
‘When I came here we had to take another way as well, and then you thought OK, that’s already because last time it didn’t work too well.
‘When we came through (the atmosphere) was obviously very positive. But we didn’t know when we are on the bus that this had happened before because City were in front of us. So, yes, for Liverpool FC I have to say sorry.’
City coach Manel Estiarte described the scenes as ‘unacceptable’ in his video on Instagram
City had feared their team bus would be targeted ahead of the Champions League tie
Merseyside Police are conducting enquiries to identify those responsible for the attack on Wednesday night.
Match Commander Superintendent Paul White said: ‘We are aware that damage was caused to the Manchester City team bus as it approached Anfield stadium this evening ahead of the Liverpool v Manchester City match.
‘Thankfully no one on the bus was injured, but injuries were caused to two of our officers when projectiles were thrown towards the bus. The officers and stewards are there to protect the public and keep them safe.
Liverpool have since apologised to City for the attack on their bus before the game
Supporters can be seen perched on top of gates outside Anfield on City’s approach
City’s damaged team bus was seen being driven away outside Anfield during the match
‘This behaviour by a number of people who threw bottles, cans and pyrotechnics towards the bus is completely unacceptable and we will conduct enquiries to identify who was responsible and bring them to justice.
‘We worked very closely with both clubs to ensure the safety of the public and the teams themselves, and it is disappointing to see that a number of people behaved in this appalling way.’
Liverpool released a statement before the match apologising to City over the incident. The club said the priority was to ‘establish the facts and offer Manchester City whatever support is necessary’.
Manchester City were greeted by hordes of Liverpool fans on their approach to Anfield
Some let off flares on the march down to the stadium ahead of the Champions League tie
Items included bottles were thrown at the bus, which had to be replaced for the journey home
City boss Pep Guardiola said after the game: ‘I didn’t expect that. I am new here.
‘Normally when the police know that is going to happen, they try to avoid it happening.
‘The bus is destroyed. I didn’t expect that a club as prestigious as Liverpool would do these kind of things.
‘Of course, it is not Liverpool, it is the people. It was not only one, only two, only three. Hopefully it doesn’t happen again.’