Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties to win the UEFA Super Cup 2019
Liverpool win the Super Cup on penalties
Right, we're going to wrap up this live feed. Having been thrust into the spotlight by Friday's injury to number-one goalkeeper Alisson, Adrián is the hero on his full debut for Liverpool as the Reds celebrate trophy success in Istanbul once more, after what was an enjoyable first all-English UEFA Super Cup. Chelsea might have been left disappointed in Europe's curtain-raiser once again, but Frank Lampard's men responded to their heavy weekend loss to Manchester United with a fine performance, and can take confidence from the way they played as they prepare to host Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday. For Liverpool, the sextuple is ON! Thanks for reading!
Liverpool's fourth Super Cup victory moves them level with Real Madrid on the all-time winners' list, with just Barcelona and AC Milan (five each) ahead of them.
Liverpool become the first English winner of the UEFA Super Cup since they themselves beat CSKA Moscow to lift the trophy back in 2005. Chelsea, meanwhile, have now lost in their last three appearances in the Super Cup, having also gone down to Atlético Madrid in 2012 and, as mentioned below, Bayern a year after that. Their only win was over Real Madrid in 1998.
Klopp leads the charge as the Liverpool players mob Adrián, who is the hero in a trophy win in his first ever start for the Merseysiders, and looks a little overcome by it all. You have to feel for Abraham, who - shooting accuracy aside - had put in a very, very decent performance after coming on as a second-half substitute.
And he doesn't! Adrián saves with his legs! Liverpool win the shoot-out 5-4 and claim the Super Cup for the fourth time in their history!
Abraham has the duty of taking Chelsea's fifth penalty. He has to score...
Salah with Liverool's fifth...
Emerson Palmieri to take Chelsea's fourth penalty...
Alexander-Arnold for Liverpool. They've all been fine penalties so far. Can he keep up the high standards?
Mason Mount for Chelsea...
Origi for Liverpool...
Barkley steps up for Chelsea...
Fabinho to take now for Liverpool.
Jorginho is first up for Chelsea.
Liverpool to take first. Firmino.
Liverpool face tonight's penalty shoot-out fresh from losing one to Manchester City in the Community Shield ten days ago. Chelsea, meanwhile, have experience of being defeated on spot-kicks in this very fixture, six years ago against Bayern.
Peeep peeep peeeeeeeeep! It's penalties.
A minute left. Fabinho has cramp, I think.
It's all Chelsea in these final minutes of extra time. Adrián is forced into another save from Mount when the young Englishman thumps a low shot on goal from just outside of the area, before Abraham sends the rebound wide. Abraham was offside, though.
Firmino is adjudged to have brought down Pedro, and Chelsea have the opportunity to swing it into the mixer from the right-hand side. Kanté gets his head on the delivery, but only succeeds in glancing the ball away towards the corner flag... and it was offside anyway.
Now Pedro thumps a low shot towards Adrián's bottom corner, and watches it flash just wide! Twice Chelsea go close to getting what, in all likelihood, would be the winner.
Just as I say that, Mount almost pings Chelsea into the lead! Abraham lays off to his fellow youngster on the edge of the box, where he unleashes a shot that's fizzing towards the top corner - but Adrián beats it out with a firm hand!
Matip strides forward into the Chelsea box imperiously, before his forward incursion is rounded off in altogether less impressive fashion when Wijnaldum miscontrols the defender's pass. Up the other end, Mount tries to run at the Liverpool defence, but is fairly easily dispossessed by Fabinho. This is rather starting to have the look of penalties.
Alexander-Arnold goes into the book for holding back Mount.
Back up and running. We are a quarter of an hour from penalties in the Super Cup for (I make it) only the second time ever. The last time? 2013, when Chelsea were also involved, and lost the shoot-out to Bayern Munich.
Peeep! That's the first 15 up.
Henderson gives it straight to Ross Barkley, and the Chelsea substitute sets off towards the Liverpool goal with Abraham ahead of him. He opts to go it alone, and is fairly easily run off the ball by Matip.
Two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half of extra time. Origi flights a menacing cross to the back post, where, with Salah waiting behind him, Emerson has to look alive to head it behind. The corner finally ends up in Kepa's arms.
Again Abraham should score! Pedro cuts it back from the right byline, and all the striker has to do is divert the ball goalwards and it's 3-2. He doesn't divert the ball goalwards.
Liverpool also use their fourth change, withdrawing double goalscorer Mané and introducing Divock Origi, who has on occasion been useful to them as a sub, it's fair to say.
Chelsea make use of their additional extra-time substitution, throwing Ross Barkley into the fray in place of Kovacic.
Moments after that missed chance, Abraham tumbles under Adrián's challenge, and the referee points to the spot! One VAR check later, Jorginho is standing over the penalty...
What a chance for Abraham! Chelsea should really be level, but the substitute scuffs his shot when put through on the Liverpool keeper, and the Reds survive. However...
2-1 to Liverpool! Mané again! The Senegalese links up wonderfully with Firmino, slipping him in behind the Chelsea defence and, as the Brazilian makes for the byline, advancing into position to collect the return ball and thump it into the net via the underside of the crossbar. Lovely goal.
Freshly installed at left-back, Gomez looks to make an immediate impact in his new role by thrusting forward, cutting in and firing a shot towards Kepa's right-hand corner - but the keeper is across quickly to grab hold of the effort.
Peeep! Extra time is underway.
Alexander-Arnold is coming on for the added 30, Robertson making way for the right-back and Gomez shifting over to occupy the Scot's position on the left of the defence.
This is the fifth occasion in the last seven Super Cups that the game has gone to extra time.
Peep peep peep! Extra time it is.
Kovacic brings down Salah on the right flank, handing Liverpool one final chance to deliver a set piece into the box. Can they win it with the game's last attack? No, but not before the free-kick finally falls to Salah on the right-hand side of the box, where he fizzes a ball across goal that no-one can get on the end of.
Two minutes of time added on in Istanbul.
Mount delivers into the box, but Van Dijk clears. Back come Chelsea through Kanté, who earns a corner - which Zouma heads well over from close range!
Close from Mané... but he was offside anyway. It's a cute little pass from Salah that releases him in behind the Chelsea defence, but his angled shot is off target, and it wouldn't have counted.
Henderson becomes the second man to go into Stéphanie Frappart's book after bringing down Emerson, and Mount has a chance to deliver a free-kick into the box. Liverpool deal with it without too much fuss, though.
Chelsea make their final change, Fikayo Tomori replacing Christensen.
Again Chelsea have a goal ruled out. Jorginho is once more at the heart of it, dropping a lovely ball over the Liverpool defence for Mount to collect, advance and drill low past Adrián. Like Pulisic's strike before him, it would have been a fine goal.
Kanté gets to the byline and cuts it back for Pedro on the penalty spot... but it's blocked!
Azpilicueta earns the game's first yellow card for a push on Mané, and Liverpool have an exceedingly dangerous free-kick. Salah stands over it... but it clips Abraham's head in the wall, and is out for a corner. Chelsea clear said corner easily.
What a save from Kepa! Liverpool can't believe they're not in front. A corner from the right drops to Wijnaldum, who lays it off for Salah to strike low towards the bottom corner. Between them, Kepa and Abraham keep the ball out, but it falls straight to Van Dijk, who drives it back at goal from six or so yards out... only for the Chelsea keeper to push it up onto the bar, and the West Londoners survive!
That was Pulisic's last contribution. He comes off for Mount, while Abraham replaces Giroud.
Kovacic plays the ball into Pulisic on the edge of the Liverpool box, where the American turns and shoots, but sees his effort blocked. Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham are about to come on for the Blues.
Azpilicueta plops a ball over the top to Pulisic, who is a couple of miles offside at least.
Robertson clips a low ball behind Azpilicueta for Mané to chase. It looks for all the world like it's going to skip out for a goal-kick, but Mané ain't half fast, and gets there in time to fire an off-balance effort at Kepa from the acutest of angles. The Chelsea goalkeeper grabs hold of it at the second attempt.
That's good play from Pedro, and fine defending from Gomez. The Spaniard lays the ball across the edge of the box for Pulisic to fizz a first-time shot torwards Adrián's goal, but Gomez is there to deflect it out for a corner. Which comes to zilch.
Liverpool make a second change, Milner making way for Gio Wijnaldum.
Giroud brings it down nicely in the area, before undoing all that good work by shinning it out, sparking jeers of derision from the Liverpool fans. It hasn't been a very successful couple of minutes for the former Arsenal man.
Christensen lifts a ball onto Giroud's chest on the edge of the Liverpool box, but the Frenchman is more than a little miffed to be flagged offside. Azpilicueta then scoops another one over the top to the striker, who collects and shoots, but is again deemed to have been in an illegal position.
Oooh, that was nice combination play from Liverpool, but Chelsea get it clear. Salah and Milner sidle into the Blues box via a neat exchange of passes, but the Egyptian's final return ball to the midfielder is cut out.
There's a moment of danger at the other end when Emerson gets himself to the byline and into a position to cut it back for Giroud, but is a little too slow to release the ball and the chance is lost. Liverpool then launch a fresh attack, which almost sees Henderson beat Kepa with a deflected shot from just outside the area! Kepa did very well to hold on. The Reds are looking a lot livelier now.
Close from Fabinho! Liverpool have their tails up. Firmino lays the ball off to his fellow Brazilian, who pings a powerful shot at goal from 20 yards out.... but it flies just past Kepa's left-hand post!
Liverpool level! Mané scores, and Firmino has an immediate impact! The Brazilian latches onto Fabinho's lifted ball over the Chelsea defence and, with Kepa charging out towards him, shows wonderful vision and sang froid to just touch it a yard to his right for Mané, who rolls it into an empty net.
Peeeep! We are back underway. No changes for Chelsea.
Indeed. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain makes way for Firmino, who will presumably take up his usual position at centre-forward, with Mané switching back to the left.
We have just seen a shot of Roberto Firmino looking rather like he is preparing to come on. It would be no surprise to see Klopp make a half-time change.
Having boshed in 11 goals in Chelsea's victorious Europa League campaign last season, Giroud's fine goalscoring form on the continental stage continues.
Peeep peep peeep! That's half time in Istanbul, where Chelsea take a deserved lead into the break. See you in 15.
Liverpool get Salah on the ball and squaring up to his man on the right-hand corner of the box. The Egyptian tries to curl a left-footed effort into Kepa's far top corner, but Emerson is where he needs to be, and blocks. Shortly afterwards, Salah is back on the ball on the left, but Robertson can't control his neat backheel into the Scot's forward run, and the chance is lost.
Klopp is currently holding an animated discussion with his assistants, and well he might. Liverpool have been increasingly second best.
Goa... No! Jorginho clips a ball over the top for Pulisic to run onto on the left. He collects, advances towards the Liverpool box, cuts inside and finds Adrián's bottom right corner with a lovely strike - only for replays to show that he was marginally offside when Jorginho played the ball. What a terrific goal that would have been, and what a let-off for Liverpool.
Chelsea take the lead! Giroud with it! You can't say they don't deserve it. It's terrific play from Pulisic, who collects the ball from Kanté, runs at three red shirts and slips in Giroud, who is onside and slides it low past Adrián and into the net! 1-0 Chelsea!
Now Pedro tries a slide-rule pass, and it's a beauty! It leaves Kovacic in on Adrián, but the Liverpool goalkeeper does ever so well to get out quickly and snuff out the Croat's attempts to take the ball around him. Moments later, Gomez has to be quick to cut out a cross at the near post with Pulisic waiting to pull the trigger behind him. It's been Chelsea's first half so far, all in all.
Jorginho almost has Giroud in behind the Liverpool defence with a neat slide-rule pass, but Matip is alert to cut it out.
Having weathered a mini-Chelsea storm over the past few minutes, Liverpool finally get out and earn themselves a corner - which Van Dijk heads over. A minute later, Jürgen Klopp's men win another, which Milner whips onto Mané's head, but the Senegal international's deflected effort is relatively comfortable for Kepa.
Matip gives it straight to Kanté with a pass of supreme sloppiness, and Chelsea come again. The Frenchman feeds Pedro, who in turn finds Pulisic on the left. The American switches the ball onto his left and pings it across the face of goal, but there's no-one there to turn it in.
Pedro hits the crossbar! He plays a one-two with Giroud, advances into the box and fires at goal... but it bounces back off the bar! Moments later, Giroud sends a bicycle kick a couple of yards wide. It's been a good last few minutes for Frank Lampard's men.
Pedro has been lively so far. He gets on the end of a lovely Jorginho through ball that leaves him in a straight foot race with Andy Robertson - but the Liverpool left-back does well to shepherd the Spaniard way from danger and put it behind for a corner... which comes to nought.
Chelsea immediately launch a threatening attack of their own, and Giroud should probably do better! Pedro feeds a lovely little through ball to get the Frenchman bursting towards the Liverpool box, but he drags his cross shot well wide!
Great save from Kepa! After a brief pause as a pitch invader is dealt with, Salah is suddenly scampering away from Emerson on the right and bearing down on the Chelsea goal... but his angled shot is beaten out by the Blues' goalkeeper!
Salah releases Henderson on the right, and his quickfire cross from the byline is heading straight onto Mané's bonce... but Christensen is in position to head behind. The corner comes to zip.
Oooh, not far away there from Pedro! He's got form for scoring in Super Cups and, scuttling in from the right, curls a shot a yard or so past Adrián's right-hand post. The first real sight of goal that Chelsea have had.
Liverpool win a free-kick on the right, which finally falls to Fabinho on the left-hand side of the box. He slaps a shot at Kepa from an acute angle, but he's going to have to go some to beat the keeper from there and the Spaniard blocks.
Up the other end, Mané launches himself into an acrobatic, overhead kick that is blocked by Christensen - and leaves Liverpool appealing for a handball. No, says Madame Frappart. The Champions League holders have to content themselves with a corner, which Matip heads straight at Kepa. Replays show it did touch Christensen's hand, but given his proximity to the ball it would have been a mite harsh to award a spot-kick for that.
Chelsea are urging Frappart to book Van Dijk after the Dutchman handles just inside the Liverpool half, but the French referee is having none of it. From the resulting free-kick, Matip has to look alive in his area to take the ball off Pulisic's toes and clear.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is operating on the left of the Liverpool attack, with Mané shifting over into Firmino's centre-forward berth and Salah playing, as ever, on the right.
Peeeeep! Stéphanie Frappart gets us up and running in Istanbul!
Teams are out, coin toss complete... kick-off is imminent.
Five minutes to kick-off in Istanbul. We are currently being treated to children singing Bob Marley.
In yet another first, meanwhile, the video-assistant-referee (VAR) system will make its UEFA Super Cup bow this evening.
This will also be the first ever Super Cup overseen by a female referee: France's Stéphanie Frappart, who took charge of this summer's Women's World Cup final between USA and the Netherlands, and, having made her debut in Ligue 1 in April, has been added to the French top flight's list of regular match officials this season. She will be assisted by compatriot Manuela Nicolosi and Ireland's Michelle O'Neill.
Incidentally, if you're still wondering how you can watch tonight's Super Cup clash in Istanbul, then wonder no further.
This may be the 11th European meeting between Liverpool and Chelsea, but it is the first ever all-English Super Cup - and only the second time in the past decade that Spain has not been represented in the continental curtain-raiser. Chelsea were also involved on the other LaLiga-free occasion, in Prague in 2013, when a Blues side captained by Lampard lost on penalties to Bayern Munich.
Tonight's Super Cup - the first to be held in Turkey - sees Liverpool return to the city which, of course, was the scene of their unforgettable comeback and penalty shoot-out victory against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final. Curiously, though, the Reds have never actually won a match outright in Istanbul, registering two draws and three defeats in their five visits.
Chelsea team news:
Frank Lampard makes three changes to the side that lost heavily at Old Trafford. Ross Barkley and Mason Mount drop to the bench as Christian Pulisic is brought in for his first competitive start for the Blues and, despite concerns over his fitness, N'Golo Kanté plays in midfield. Up top, Olivier Giroud gets the nod over Tammy Abraham.
Liverpool team news:
Adrián starts in goal in place of the injured Alisson, while right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold drops to the bench and Joe Gomez shifts across into his position from centre-back, where Joel Matip returns to the side to partner Virgil van Dijk. James Milner comes in for Gio Wijnaldum in midfield, while Sadio Mané and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain play in attack alongside Mo Salah, with Roberto Firmino among the substitutes.
Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Christensen, Zouma, Emerson, Jorginho, Kovacic, Kanté, Pulisic, Pedro, Giroud
Liverpool XI: Adrián, Gomes, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mané, Salah
Liverpool vs Chelsea: preamble
Liverpool versus Chelsea, midweek, under the lights, European silverware at stake... It's like it's the noughties all over again. The Premier League pair met no fewer than 10 times in Europe between 2005 and 2009, in a flurry of hotly contested Champions League clashes that included two semi-finals, one quarter-final and one still furiously-debated Luis García goal.
On this occasion, they face off on the less prestigious stage that is the UEFA Super Cup - but, even if you subscribe to the school of thought that this is no more than a glorified friendly, try telling Chelsea that tonight doesn't matter after the walloping that Frank Lampard's young, transfer ban-hamstrung, Eden Hazard-less team took at Old Trafford at the weekend.
Lampard, twice on the losing side in the Super Cup as a Chelsea player, clearly didn't feel his side deserved to go down 4-0 to Manchester United, but go down 4-0 they did. And, though patience is something he can reasonably expect to get more of than any other coach of the Roman Abramovich era, there will be more than a few furrowed brows at Lampard's first home game on Sunday if the Blues return with their tails between their legs from this trip too.
As for Liverpool: the Super Cup might not be a major trophy, but, with the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Champions League and Club World Cup also up for grabs, it represents an opportunity for the Reds to collect the first of a possible SIX pieces of silverware this season. Indeed, it could even have been seven, had they not lost the Community Shield - also, admittedly, a second-tier bauble at best - to Manchester City 10 days ago.