Preview
Liverpool will face Celtic at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, 10 August in their last pre-season friendly. Both the teams are in good form and must be looking forward to the new season which will kick off soon.
Liverpool are unbeaten in pre-season, winning all six of their games, albeit against inferior opposition. Brendan Rodgers' team have scored 17 goals and conceded only one in their six games. Being of comparable quality, Celtic represent the first real test for this young Liverpool team ahead of the new season.
Despite this game being a pre-season friendly, Celtic have already begun their campaign, playing five competitive matches. Four of those games were in two-legged ties during Champions League qualification and the remaining one was in the Scottish Premier League. Neil Lennon's team edged past Cliftonville and Elfsborg in Champions League qualifiers. They also won their opening match of the league campaign beating Ross County 2-1 last weekend.
You'll Never Walk Alone
The bond between the two clubs is considerably deep. Along with their prominent Irish fan-base, both clubs share an anthem. Anfield and Park Head have made famous the Gerry and the Pacemakers song "You'll Never Walk Alone" with powerful renditions from supporters before the game. Regardless of the game, the spectacle of Celtic and Liverpool's Irish supporters singing the anthem hand-in-hand before the game is not to be missed. Both clubs are also united in their reverence for Kenny Dalglish, who was transferred from Celtic to Liverpool in 1977.
Where to Watch
Kick-off is at 9:30pm IST (Saturday, 10 August) and live coverage will be available on Sony Six.
Team News
After the recent controversy surrounding Luis Suarez, the striker is not included in the squad traveling to Ireland. The Uruguyan forward has been ordered to train alone by Rodgers after his comments made on the club's conduct. However, Daniel Sturridge has recovered from an injury and will be with the team. Although the England international is unlikely to start the game, he should make a substitute appearance. Center-backs Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger also didn't travel with the team.
The only absentee for Celtic is defender Kevin Wilson, who completed a transfer to Nottingham Forest on Friday. With the team having played in a Champions League qualifier mid-week, one can expect Neil Lennon to field a mix of first-team and reserve players.
