We are just hours away before the 44th edition of the UEFA Super Cup in Istanbul, with Liverpool and Chelsea squaring off.
Both teams have won the tournament a combined four times, with Liverpool winning on three occasions and Chelsea prevailing in 1998.
The last time the Blues appeared in the Super Cup was in 2013, when they lost on penalties to Bayern Munich.
In that game, the current Blues coach Frank Lampard captained the side.
Liverpool’s last Super Cup appearance was in 2005, as Rafa Benitez’s Reds beat CSKA Moscow 3-1, thanks to the heroics of substitute Djibril Cisse, who scored twice and assisted the third.
Last season, both sides faced each other three times – twice in the Premier League and once in the Carabao Cup.
Chelsea won the cup encounter at Anfield, beating a second-string Liverpool side, while the Reds won the Premier League clash on Merseyside.
The league meeting at Stamford Bridge ended in a 1-1 draw, with Daniel Sturridge’s late screamer cancelling out Eden Hazard’s opener.
Both sides have started the Premier League in contrasting fashion – Liverpool thrashed Norwich City 4-1, but Chelsea received a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United.
Judging by recent results, the Champions League holders are the favorites to win, but there’s no denying that both teams have some top players in their ranks.
Here’s a combined XI comprising the finest current individuals from Liverpool and Chelsea.
