Three key battles in Chelsea v Liverpool

The Special One v The Normal One

In hindsight, Liverpool did well to poach Jurgen Klopp earlier this month in light of Chelsea’s drastic slump in form across all fronts. The former Borussia Dortmund manager would certainly have been on Roman Abramovich’s shortlist to replace Jose Mourinho should the Portuguese exit the Blues, which seems increasingly inevitable. Whether Klopp would have been tempted to take over the reins at Stamford Bridge ahead of Anfield is another question. Expect Mourinho to employ cagey tactics and look to temper Liverpool’s pressing football. The Reds could be susceptible on the counter-attack but with a lack of pace up front and key men out of Eden Hazard out-of-form, Mourinho doesn’t have the tools to really exploit a Liverpool defence growing in confidence. Both Klopp and Mourinho are advocates of discipline and organisation. They do have history, too. The 48-year-old’s ‘gegenpressing’ system helped Dortmund four points in the Champions League group-stage in 2012/13. Whilst Real Madrid were 2-0 winners at The Bernabeu in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, Dortmund’s 4-1 first leg lead was sufficient to see the German side into the final. It was Mourinho’s last European game as Real Madrid manager.

Costa v Skrtel

Diego Costa and Martin Skrtel should provide some fireworks at Stamford Bridge. The pair clashed during Slovakia’s 1-0 victory over Spain last year and tensions boiled over into the Premier League and League Cup last season. Costa is still to ignite this season as the 27-year-old continues to struggle like the rest of his Chelsea team-mates. A return of two goals in seven Premier League games won’t intimidate the Reds back four. Skrtel has been a mainstay of the Liverpool defence and has started to form a solid centre-half partnership with Mamadou Sakho, which has been allowed to blossom following Dejan Lovren’s injury. The clash between Costa and Skrtel will be a test of their physical and mental attributes.

Terry v Benteke

Christian Benteke missed Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Bournemouth in the League Cup due to an injury concern. However, Klopp has reassured concerned Reds supporters that the £32.5m striker should be fit to face Chelsea on Saturday afternoon. Terry has struggled in the Premier League this season. In particular, he was bullied by Southampton’s powerful forward Graziano Pelle in the Saints’s 3-1 win at The Bridge. Benteke should study and use the Italian’s performance as his blueprint for Saturday’s game. The Belgium international scored his first goal under Klopp against Southampton last weekend, which should bolster his confidence as the Liverpool manager seeks his first Premier League win.

ؾQ}�,�x�