Man City, Liverpool kick start new season with Community Shield
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 2 – English Premier League champions Manchester City and UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool will curtain raise the new 2019/20 season when the two giants clash in the Community Shield on Sunday at the Wembley Stadium.
The Community Shield sees the renewal of the rivalry between Liverpool and Man City – certainly the top two teams in England, and perhaps all of Europe.
While City dominated domestically by winning a treble of Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup, the Reds picked up the biggest prize of all by claiming the UEFA Champions League.
“True to our promise to enrich the lives of our customers we felt it important to kick off this new football season with a wider broadcast of the anticipated clash and make it inclusive for all our valued customers” says Eric Odipo, Managing Director, MultiChoice Kenya.
In terms of off-season business, City have been the busier of the pair. Manager Pep Guardiola has brought in Angelino from PSV Eindhoven and midfielder Rodri from Atletico Madrid – the latter could be a key acquisition and a longer-term successor to Fernandinho in the middle of the park.
Liverpool have been very quiet on the transfer marker, with their only incoming player at the time of writing being teenage defender Sepp van den Berg (who is a star for the future rather than one who will feature strongly in the next couple of years). Meanwhile, they have released the likes of Alberto Moreno and Daniel Sturridge.
In head-to-head terms, City and Liverpool have met in 165 previous matches. The Reds have claimed 79 wins compared to 44 for the Citizens, while 42 games have been drawn. This will be the first meeting of the clubs in the Community Shield.
Yet it is the tactical battle between Jurgen Klopp and Guardiola which will be really fascinating for SuperSport viewers, with the German looking to enhance and refine his high-pressing style, while the Spaniard will once again bank on flexibility, fluidity and a crisp passing game to keep the team in light blue on top.
Last season City took four points off ‘Pool in the teams’ two league meetings: a 0-0 draw in October 2018 at Anfield, followed by a 2-1 win for the hosts at the Etihad Stadium in January 2019, featuring goals from Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane.
