Kid you not, Liverpool are by far the safer bet for Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup showdown. The Reds are the kings of Europe, winning the Champions League, and kicked off the new season in emphatic style by beating Norwich 4-1.
Chelsea, on the other hand, suffered an embarrassing 4-1 to, in all honesty, a subpar Man United side. The 4-0 loss at Old Trafford for Lampard’s men was proof of the team’s inexperience, as they exhibited nothing but errors and naivety.
Nonetheless, while all the signs point to Van Dijk and Co. lifting yet another European trophy, there are stats that will hand Chelsea optimism. Here are the numbers backing the Blues to pull off a shocker.
Liverpool’s European record vs English teams compared to Chelsea
Given Liverpool’s prestigious history, it comes as little surprise to see that they have won eight games against domestic rivals in Europe compared to Chelsea’s seven. The Blues, however, boast a superior winning percentage albeit by the smallest of margins at 39% compared to the Reds’ 38%.
This is because the London giants’ seven wins came from only 18 attempts while the Merseyside heavyweights managed only one more triumph despite having played three more European games against a fellow English side. Furthermore, Chelsea have lost on only four occasions. Liverpool, on the other hand, have suffered five defeats.
Their head-to-head record in Europe
These two English powerhouses have crossed paths a whopping 10 times. Fun fact: all of those encounters came in the Champions League. Despite being the nation’s joint-most successful team, alongside Man United, Chelsea boast a superior head-to-head record against Liverpool.
Again, it’s by the smallest of margins, but that’s enough to hand the Stamford Bridge side optimism. Five of their 10 encounters ended in draws but the Blues have won three times compared to the Reds’ two. Of course, the Anfield side are most likely to draw level after Wednesday’s game.
Lampard knows how to overcome Liverpool
It remains unknown if Lampard can outsmart Klopp, but the Englishman knows a thing or two about overcoming the Anfield side from his playing days. The last time these two sides met, the former Three Lions ace scored a brace in a thrilling 7-5 aggregate quarter-final win.
Lampard celebrates his 2009 Champions League goal against Liverpool
In the encounter prior to that, Lampard scored past the Reds once more, this time in the semi-final as Super Frank and Co. went on to win 4-3 on aggregate.
Chelsea’s unbeaten run
Things might not be going great for Kante and Co, but they are unbeaten in Europe for 15 straight games. This is a club record, one that stretches back to March 2018 when they lost at Camp Nou to Barcelona in the Champions League.
