Chelsea are still good enough to defeat Liverpool for UEFA Super Cup

Chelsea will take on Liverpool on Wednesday in this year’s UEFA Super Cup. Despite what we saw in Old Trafford, victory is still possible in Istanbul.

The start to the Premier League season was not something many Chelsea fans expected. A 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United is tough to take for Frank Lampard and his boys. The European champions, Liverpool, will represent an even more daunting task for the Blues.

Even though there was a reasonable expectation about the team, the defensive woes were evident in each preseason match. The loss to United emphasized them even more. In one way, the result will help Lampard prepare his team much better for Wednesday.

Before Sunday’s high-profile clash there was an expectation among many fans that a victory over United was more achievable than one over Liverpool. Now, the expectation will be considerably lower. This is something Chelsea can use in their favor.

Even though many injured players are still out, N’Golo Kante could return to the starting line-up on Wednesday. His absence was one of the reasons Chelsea’s defense looked so out of sorts. He is that kind of a player and that result showed his importance to the team.

Olivier Giroud, who has scored before against Liverpool for Chelsea, could also start on Wednesday. His experience and hold-up play will be vital for the Blues. On Sunday, Lampard started both Mason Mount and Ross Barkley, which meant one of them was not playing in his familiar spot. This had an effect on them, and against Liverpool, Lampard should start Christian Pulisic.

Another player Lampard neesd is Pedro. He is a big match player and nobody currently in the team is better than him in delivering high class performances since Eden Hazard’s depature. But the biggest concern will be at defense.

Fans will retain a diverse opinion about David Luiz. But his performance against Manchester City at home and Arsenal in the Europa League final was absolutely crucial. His leadership quality and his ability to pick attackers with his long balls will be missed. Even though Kurt Zouma is a talented player, his issues in making swift decisions are still evident. Even at his worse, Luiz had the ability to serve the team with his long balls. This is something Zouma lacks, and it coudl become a liability for Chelsea as it was on Sunday.

Another player who needs to get his act going properly is Cesar Azpilicueta. He is the skipper and needs to lead by example. On Sunday he was at fault multiple times. Even if Reece James is back fully fit, Lampard needs his captain. If Azpilicueta is back at his usual level, the defense is immediately stronger.

Liverpool will be pumped up for the Super Cup. They had two more days rest than Chelsea. They are coming off the back of a massive win. If Chelsea can learn from their mistakes quickly, it could take Liverpool by surprise.

This is a one-off game and the Blues need to believe anything is possible.