UCL champion Liverpool are going to face UEL winner Chelsea for the UEFA Super Cup in Istanbul at 21:00 CET.
Possible line-ups
Liverpool:
Out: Alisson (calf), Clyne (knee), Lovren (illness)
Doubtful: none
Chelsea:
Out: Hudson-Odoi (Achilles), Loftus-Cheek (Achilles), James (ankle)
Doubtful: Kanté (knee), Rüdiger (knee)
Pre/early-season results
Liverpool
11/07: W 6-0 v Tranmere Rovers (a)
14/07: W 3-1 v Bradford City (n)
20/07: L 2-3 v Borussia Dortmund (n)
21/07: L 1-2 v Sevilla (n)
25/07: D 2-2 v Sporting CP (n)
28/07: L 0-3 v Napoli (n)
31/07: W 3-1 v Lyon (n)
04/08: D 1-1 (lost 4-5 on pens) v Manchester City (n), FA Community Shield
09/08: W 4-1 v Norwich City (h), Premier League
Chelsea
10/07: D 1-1 v Bohemians (a)
13/07: W 4-0 v St Patrick's Athletic (a)
19/07: L 0-1 v Kawasaki Frontale (n)
23/07: W 2-1 v Barcelona (n)
28/07: W 4-3 v Reading (a)
31/07: W 5-3 v Salzburg (a)
03/08: D 2-2 v Borussia Mönchengladbach (a)
11/08: L 4-0 v Manchester United (a), Premier League
Team news
The first game of the season gave way to a news of potential catastrophic proportions, with Alisson Becker sustaining a calf injury against Norwich City.
Liverpool are now set to be without their first-choice goalkeeper for “a number of weeks” and Jurgen Klopp will now have to rely on summer arrival Adrian for the foreseeable future.
While Jurgen Klopp was greeted with bad news last weekend, for Frank Lampard the news has only been good, at least on the injury front.
N’Golo Kante shrugged off a knee injury to ease into action in the second half against Manchester United. Willian too, is back after completely recovering from a hamstring injury that has kept him out since the Copa America.
Prediction
Liverpool 3-1 Chelsea
Liverpool can create history of their own by winning the game, which will take them level with Real Madrid on four UEFA Super Cups, fewer only than Barcelona and AC Milan (5), although Chelsea might have something to say on that.
The Blues though, seem to be ripe for the taking, with Manchester United brutally exposing their defensive weaknesses this past Sunday.
All in all, this looks like a game that could be laden with goals, meaning the more efficient side in the final third will triumph.
It is here where Liverpool hold the decisive edge, with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino looking in menacing touch. The Hard Tackle thus, predicts a 3-1 win for Liverpool, with Istanbul giving them another night to remember.