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Chelsea and Liverpool will face off in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday in an encounter that will be more than just a curtain-raiser to the European season. The two English clubs have some history and are both desperate to kickstart the season with a trophy.
Chelsea had an amazing run in the Europa League last season, going unbeaten and defeating London rivals Arsenal in the final.
Liverpool, on the other hand, had to overturn a 3-0 first-leg loss to Barcelona (the Reds won 4-0 at Anfield) en route to clinching their sixth Champions League title. Jurgen Klopp’s men also defeated fellow English side Tottenham Hotspur in the final of Europe’s flagship club competition.
Wednesday’s Super Cup is therefore set to see two English sides face off for the very first time in the history of the competition. The Blues have won the UEFA Super Cup just once, while Liverpool have won it three times.
Below, we take a look at why the Reds are huge favourites to win this game:
#3 Jurgen Klopp’s men are a class apart
Games between Liverpool and Chelsea have often been keenly contested but, for the first time in many years, there is a clear favourite. Liverpool are in better form and boast a much better team when compared to Chelsea.
The Reds are not just the champions of Europe, they also run Manchester City close in the Premier League last season, eventually losing out by a single point after amassing 97 points themselves. By contrast, Chelsea look like a team in tatters at the moment.
The Blues may have won the Europa League last season, but the side that secured that triumph was far better than the one currently being managed by Frank Lampard. Chelsea have been forced to rely on young, inexperienced players for the season following the club’s transfer ban.
This is a Chelsea team that was walloped 4-0 by Manchester United over the weekend and it remains to be seen how they can hold their own against this rampant Liverpool side. What is clear, though, is the gulf in class and quality between both sides. Liverpool are by far the superior side and that is expected to be on display in the Super Cup.
#2 Chelsea’s shambolic defence plays into Liverpool’s hands
A majority of Chelsea fans were brooding over the departure of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid this summer, however, David Luiz’s move to Arsenal on deadline day has turned out to be the real sucker punch.
The Brazilian center back was the Blues’ best defender and his departure has left a huge void at the back. Frank Lampard was forced to rely on Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma in the Manchester United game and the result was catastrophic.
This, coupled with the fact that Antonio Rudiger – the only other senior option at center back – is also not fully fit, leaves the Chelsea defence totally exposed. As it stands, the Liverpool frontline must be salivating at the prospect of facing such a weak defence.
Aside from Emerson who looked sharp, the trio of Cesar Azpilicueta, Christensen and Zouma were all lost in the game against United. Against Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, the Blues’ unconvincing defence could be further exposed.
#1 History on the side of the Reds
Although Chelsea have won the UEFA Super Cup once, the Blues have often been unlucky in this competition. The London outfit contested in the Super Cup in 2012 and 2013 but lost out on both occasions, to Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively.
By contrast, history is on Liverpool’s side. The Reds have won the trophy three times (1977, 2001, 2005) and will be playing in their sixth Super Cup.
History will be inconsequential when the Chelsea vs Liverpool game kicks off, but it does not take away the fact that the Reds boast a better record in the Super Cup. Add that to the fact that Liverpool are coming into the game as the side in form, and it makes Klopp’s men the outright favourites.
Last year, Atletico Madrid (the Europa League winners) stunned Real Madrid (the Champions League winners) to win the UEFA Super Cup but this scenario looks highly unlikely this time around.
