Chelsea vs. Liverpool: 2016 ICC Time, TV Schedule and Live Stream
Premier League giants Chelsea and Liverpool will face off in their first 2016 International Champions Cup match on Wednesday, as the two go head-to-head at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
The Blues started their pre-season with two contests in Austria, winning one of two, while Liverpool have already played four matches against teams from the lower leagues.
This will be the first serious test for both sides, but with plenty of starters missing or out of form, fans shouldn't expect a high-quality encounter.
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Pre-season is all about finding fitness and the right systems for the right players―particularly for teams with new managers. Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte likely won't care about the result, and the same goes for his Liverpool counterpart, Jurgen Klopp.
Date: Wednesday, July 27
Time: 4 a.m. BST (Thursday)/11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PDT
Venue: Rose Bowl, Pasadena
TV Info: LFC TV/Chelsea TV, ESPN
Live Stream: LFC TV Go, Chelsea TV, WatchESPN
Preview
Liverpool have enjoyed a strong run through pre-season so far, beating the likes of Wigan Athletic and Huddersfield Town, but the Reds have yet to be tested against a solid team, and their defence in particular has had it easy to date.
That shouldn't be the case against Chelsea, who rebounded from a dreadful showing in their first friendly in Austria to find their attacking identity and already seem to be making progress on that end of the pitch.
Summer signing Michy Batshuayi made a big impression in a short cameo in the 3-0 win over RZ Pellets, showing exactly why he's so highly rated, and he'll likely get the chance to show more against the Reds. Here's a reminder of what he did with Olympique de Marseille last year:
Conte will also keep a close eye on young full-back Ola Aina, who is expected to start after making a great impression in the previous match. First-team regular Branislav Ivanovic suffered a shoulder injury that could see him miss the opening of the season, per Metro's Max Miller. Therefore, for the 19-year-old, these next friendlies will be crucial.
Baba Rahman is another option for Conte, and the favourite to start the Premier League season right now, but if Aina can continue his strong run, he could play himself right into the starting XI.
Per Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard, Conte has high expectations for his team:
"As the players and manager of a great club like Chelsea, the targets are very clear — you can’t escape.
The targets are the same — to fight to win or to fight to the end to win. It’s also important that the fans see our passion.
After a week, I am very happy because I have found a great atmosphere and a great attitude between the players. This is very, very important to have — we are working very hard.
"
The same goes for Klopp, who gets to go through his first pre-season at Anfield and has a host of new players to work out.
Georginio Wijnaldum joined the club from Newcastle United earlier this month and will likely be dropped right into the action, as the battle for a starting position in the attacking third will be fierce.
Fellow summer arrival Sadio Mane has already flashed his talent in pre-season, and Danny Ings has also impressed at times. Divock Origi proved himself a great fit for Klopp's system last season, while Daniel Sturridge and Robert Firmino provide further competition.
Wijnaldum will likely battle for a spot further back, where competition is also high, so Klopp will have his work cut out for him in the coming weeks. It all starts on Wednesday, against Premier League rivals Chelsea.
