Goal is delighted to introduce SuperSport’s football schedule for the coming week, with Sunday’s clash between Chelsea and Liverpool the highlight of the action.
The Reds are, after five matches, still enjoying a 100 percent record in the Premier League, having amassed a maximum 15 points to date to move five points ahead of nearest rivals Manchester City.
News this week that the Citizens will be without John Stones for five weeks represents a significant blow to their already weakened backline, and Liverpool could reasonably expect to expand the gap between the two sides over the months to come.
However, this week they face one of their sternest tests yet when they meet a Chelsea side on the rise under Frank Lampard.
Admittedly, the Pensioners were defeated in Champions League action in midweek, but they appear to have turned a corner under their rookie coach with a resounding victory away at Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.
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The Blues have struggled to put teams away, but they may be quietly confident they can trouble a Liverpool defence that has appeared shaky at times this season—notably in the midweek defeat by Napoli.
Tammy Abraham has been one of the stars of the season so far, having netted seven goals in his last three matches for Chelsea.
After he missed a penalty in the Super Cup penalty shootout defeat by Liverpool, he endured criticism from supporters, but there are few doubters anymore, and Abraham could even be an outside contender for the Golden Boot.
He’ll obviously be challenged by the relentless form of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, and the duo—both of whom netted against Newcastle United last weekend—will again look to extend their fine goalscoring form against an unconvincing Chelsea backline.
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Expect goals when these two old rivals collide, as the Merseysiders look to make it six wins in six.
Before the main event, the weekend’s action on SuperSport begins with a double-header on Saturday, as Bidvest Wits and Orlando Pirates meet in the PSL, while AC Milan and Internazionale clash in Serie A.
Pirates finally got their first win under Rulani Mokwena last weekend, with Tshegofatso Mabasa emerging as the hero of the hour as they downed Chippa United 2-1.
The victory will prompt hope that the Buccaneers have turned the corner following the disruptive exit of Milutin Sredojevic, but they have their work cut out away at Wits.
The Clever Boys may have come unstuck away at Young Buffaloes in the Caf Confederation Cup, but their domestic form has been excellent—bar a shock defeat by Baroka at home.
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Over in Milan, Inter have been the standout team of the Italian season so far—with three wins from three—and there’s surely more to come from them following the late transfer window arrivals of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.
However, as with Liverpool against Chelsea, this match represents a particularly tricky obstacle if they’re to preserve their fine season form.
SuperSport will also be showing Inter’s fixture at home against Lazio on Wednesday, representing another chance to catch a glimpse of some of the Nerazzurri ’s early-season stars such as Stefano Sense and Marcelo Brozovic.
The rest of the week’s action focused on the Spanish top flight, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona set for tough assignments over the coming days.
Los Blancos are in action on Sunday evening when they go away to Sevilla in the day’s late kick-off.
Domestically, Real have been less than convincing so far this term, with underwhelming draws against Real Valladolid and Villarreal bookended by a pair of victories.
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However, their midweek 3-0 Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain brought back memories of last season’s misery and definitely makes defeat away at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan impossible to countenance.
A reunion with Julen Lopetegui, who dumped Spain for Real ahead of the 2018 Fifa World Cup, represents a compelling subplot.
When Barcelona host Villarreal on Tuesday, following their weekend clash with Girona, all eyes will be on wonderkid Ansu Fati.
The starlet has been the revelation of the European campaign so far, having become Barca’s second-youngest debutant in history and then the club’s youngest ever scorer in the space of a week.
He scored again last weekend, less than two minutes into his Nou Camp debut, before contributing an assist for Frankie de Jong, and appears to have the world at his feet.
Having made his Champions League debut away at Borussia Dortmund in midweek, before being replaced by Lionel Messi, he’ll hope to maintain his momentum back at the Nou Camp against the Yellow Submarine.
Watch the best of football on SuperSport this weekend.
Fixtures:
Saturday 21 September
Leicester vs Tottenham | SS3 | Kickoff at 13:30 (CAT)
Manchester City vs Watford | SS3 | Kickoff at 16:00 (CAT)
Juventus vs Verona | SS9 (SA) & SS8 (ROA) | Kickoff at 18:00 (CAT)
Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo | SS7 | Kickoff at 18:30 (CAT)
Bidvest Wits vs Orlando Pirates | SS4 (SA) & SS9 (ROA) | Kickoff at 20:15 (CAT)
AC Milan vs Inter Milan | SS9 (SA) & SS8 (ROA) | Kickoff at 20:45 (CAT)
Granada vs Barcelona | SS7 | Kickoff at 21:00 (CAT)
Sunday 22 September
West Ham vs Man Utd | SS3 | Kickoff at 15:00 (CAT)
Chelsea vs Liverpool | SS3 | Kickoff at 17:30 (CAT)
Arsenal vs Aston Villa | SS5 (SA) & SS4 (ROA) | Kickoff at 17:30 (CAT)
Sevilla vs Real Madrid | SS7 | Kickoff at 21:00 (CAT)
