UEFA Super Cup 2019 : Five factors that could decide the game  

Liverpool players all-smiles in their pre-game training session
Liverpool players all-smiles in their pre-game training session

#3 Antonio Rudiger's presence on the pitch

Antonio Rudiger jostling with Rashford in a game from last season
Antonio Rudiger jostling with Rashford in a game from last season

Chelsea has been handed a lifeline with Willian's return to the squad. Lampard did say that Willian, Kante, and Rudiger are all 'fit but not necessarily match-fit'. Antonio Rudiger's presence on the pitch will be a huge boost for Chelsea. Kurt Zouma experienced a torrid time against Martial and Rashford in the Premier League game.

Sadio Mane tunes up for the Super Cup.
Sadio Mane tunes up for the Super Cup.

Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Firmino are a level above the Manchester United attack, in terms of chemistry and killer-instinct. One mistake and they swarm the area around the box like wolves on a prowl. If the defense is not solid and compact, which it wasn't against Manchester United, it won't take a blink for the Liverpool front-three to tear them apart.

Having a solid defender like Rudiger will be important for communication among the defense. Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are a pair that has played together, and in all means, better than the Christensen-Zouma pair. It's up to Frank Lampard to decide if Rudiger plays or not, but the Super Cup is the right place to test his on-pitch fitness. A defender suffering an immediate re-injury is not something common, but having said that, Lampard won't be naive enough to risk Rudiger either, when he has 37 league matches and at least 6 Champions League games ahead of him.

Andreas Christensen.
Andreas Christensen.

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