Chelsea and Liverpool, like other teams, are gradually gearing up for the upcoming EPL season, which will take shape next month. The two teams will get an early taste of quality competitive football, with Antonio Conte's men set to take on Jurgen Klopp's side at Rose Bowl in California in the International Champions Cup on Wednesday.
Chelsea have only played two pre-season matches, and the results have been mixed so far, with one loss and a victory. Liverpool were one of the first teams to start their pre-season fixtures. They have played four matches, winning all of them with considerable ease.
However, this Chelsea vs Liverpool clash is their respective biggest pre-season game so far. What makes the International Champions Cup even grander is the presence of the big names in both the camps. Players have also come back to their club after the Euro 2016 break.
If Chelsea have the likes of Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Liverpool have Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge. Add to it the high-profiled managers, can one ask for more?
With both the managers – Conte and Klopp -- being absolutely passionate about the sport, with a winning mentality, a huge game is one the cards. Though the match may just look like a friendly, the winner can take immense confidence into the domestic competition.
Chelsea have signed new players like Michy Batshuayi and N'Golo Kante, who could both feature against Liverpool. But it remains to be seen the formation Conte, who loves playing three at the back, will adopt on Wednesday. Conte is keen to see how his players perform against Liverpool.
"It is a good game for us, but winning is not the most important thing. We try to work on different aspects, and we've worked a lot. But we want to play a good game and I want to see improvement from my players. A game against a good opponent is a good game and I'm very curious to see my team against Liverpool," International Champions Cup's official website quoted Conte as saying.
The objective of Conte's opposite number will also be no different. Klopp has made a number of signings including Joel Matip, Sadio Mane, Marko Grujic among others and they have been impressive. Their latest additions Georginio Wijnaldum and Ragnar Klavan are also expected to get a look in. Matip, with his ankle injury, will sit out the match.
Though Liverpool have been convincing in their previous matches, this game against Chelsea will prove to be their stern test. With the game set to be played in a 95,500-capacity ground, Chelsea and Liverpool fans are set to be entertained to the hilt.
Where to Watch Live
Chelsea vs Liverpool is scheduled for a 8 p.m. local time (9 a.m. IST, 4:30 a.m. BST) start. Below are the live streaming and TV information.
India: TV: Sony ESPN. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
UK: TV: LFC TV and Chelsea TV . Live streaming:LFC TV GO, Chelsea TV
USA: TV: ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Live Streaming: Watch ESPN.
Ireland: LFC TV
Thailand: TV: PPTV.
Singapore: TV: StarHub and beIN Sports.
China: TV: Guangdong Sports and LeTV.
