A preseason trophy does wonders for a team going into the main football season. Liverpool FC and Leicester City, on Saturday July 22, will be fighting for the Barclays Premier League Asia 2017 trophy.
Brisk business has been done by both managers -- Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool and Craig Shakespeare of Leicester City -- so far this summer and these kind of matches give managers the idea if they are satisfied with their signing or they need further players to bolster the squad.
Mohamed Salah remains the biggest signing of Liverpool so far this season and the Egyptian forward is expected to be one of the major keys to a possible Premier League 2017-18 championship win for the Reds.
Leicester City, meanwhile, have swooped big on defender Harry Maguire and defensive midfielder Vicente Iborra. Shakeaspeare's side are still chasing the statement signing of the summer transfer window, possibly in Swansea City playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The Foxes also need to be cautious with major suitors chasing Riyad Mahrez's signature. The club already rejected a bid from Roma for the star winger, just days back.
The Premier League Asia 2017 tournament, although not as huge as the International Champions Cup, going on simultaneously, does give a big boost to the winning team. As mentioned earlier, a trophy in the preseason can do wonders, going ahead.
Leicester, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and West Brom are the only participants in the competition this year. While Leicester beat West Brom to reach the final, Liverpool achieved the feat after defeating Crystal Palace.
Who will have the beginner's luck in the final? Klopp's army or Shakespeare's men?
Match schedule
- Date: July 22
- Time: 6 pm IST (1:30 pm BST)
- Venue: Hong Kong International Stadium
Where to watch live
UK: TV - Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event. Live stream - Sky Go
INDIA: TV - Sky Sports Select 1/HD. Live stream - Hotstar
Live score: Twitter
