Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes that Manchester City would beat "99 per cent" of all teams in world football given their current form.
City sit atop the Premier League table having scored 29 goals in their opening eight matches as well as recording victories in Champions League matches with Feyenoord and Shakhtar Donetsk.
City 15/2 to win Champions League
Liverpool are one of the sides that City have swept aside after they recorded a 5-0 win over the Reds in September, with Klopp's side struggling for form thereafter.
But the former Borussia Dortmund boss was quick to defend his team after a run of just one win from their last eight matches ahead of Tuesday's clash with Maribor, claiming his side cannot be blamed for the defeat to City that sparked their poor period of results.
"We have to be confident. It was disappointment after the game and that is because we deserved more. We are in a good moment and we are looking forward," he told reporters.
"It is easy to remember how hard we fought for the Champions League.
"We have lost two games, one in the [EFL] Cup and one with 10-men against Manchester City. Ninety-nine per cent of teams in world football would lose against Manchester City at the moment. Why should we lose confidence?"
Liverpool are two points behind Group E leaders Sevilla ahead of the meeting with the Slovenian champions and Klopp has challenged his side to get the sort of result that he feels their recent displays deserve.
"Now, we face a decisive moment in the group stage. We need to be concentrated and brave against a top team of a European league," he said.
"They are a good footballing team. We have a job to do and not think about the next game.
"We have wasted points and the performances have been good. We have to be very, very good again and take the result.
"The two games we saw of Maribor were different. They usually have to attack, they are the top team in Slovenia.
"I saw an offensive-minded team against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow. We need to be ready for this battle."
