67
18:54
Tooor for Liverpool FC, 0-1 by Joel Matip
64
18:52
Mendy plays a weak ball in the middle that flies right around the Blues’ ears. With a pass, Liverpool leverages the defense and Salah marches freely towards the booth. The Egyptian chips the leather over Mendy, but Thiago Silva saves at the last moment!
62
18:50
You can tell Liverpool want to play more with the ball, but the Reds aren’t developing at all in this second half. Chelsea are again as grippy in midfield as they were at the beginning of the game.
59
18:46
A long ball reaches Mount, who beats van Dijk and plays a one-two with Havertz. Mount finishes immediately, but his shot is too misplaced to endanger Kelleher.
57
18:44
Due to injury, the Blues have to change for the first time. Captain Azpilicueta, who had some good moves especially in offense, has to go and will be replaced by Reece James.
57
18:43
Reece James comes on as a substitute at Chelsea FC
57
18:43
Azpilicueta comes off the bench at Chelsea FC
53
18:41
At the beginning of the first half, Chelsea had already come out of the cabin better. Liverpool now have to be careful that the whole thing shifts to their own side, similar to round one.
50
18:37
This is not possible! Chelsea misses another great chance! Pulisic attracts several opponents and then puts the ball through wonderfully to Mount. The Englishman appears completely free in front of Kelleher, also looks out for the goalkeeper, but the ball only bounces on the inside post.
48
18:35
Havertz gets the ball on the left and goes one on one against Matip. The German brings the ball beforehand, but in the middle Pulisic slips just past the cross.
46
18:33
Go on! Both teams come out of the break unchanged. From a neutral point of view, it is to be hoped that not much will change in the game either. Apart from possible hits, of course.
46
18:32
Kick-off 2nd half
45
18:20
Mid-term conclusion:
In the League Cup final, Chelsea and Liverpool are still 0-0 after 45 minutes. A result that does not do this game justice. For almost the entire half-time, the teams fought a very intense game with many duels, quick switching actions and nice combinations. Both teams had their chances: Mount and Pulisic missed for the Blues, Mane missed the lead for Liverpool. However, the odds ratio does not necessarily reflect the game, because that belonged to the LFC for long stretches, who had more ball control after a strong Chelsea early phase, but was not yet compelling enough. However, if you look at all components, you can still speak of a balanced game.
45
18:16
Official stoppage time (minutes): 1
45
18:16
Mason Mount has the lead on foot! Pulisic drives the ball forward and pokes it at Havertz at the last moment. He decelerates briefly and then plays wonderfully on the starting mount, who delicately puts the ball past the box from a short distance. What a chance!
42
18:12
The Spaniard just mentioned can now be found on the offensive. The right-back takes a deposit from Havertz directly, but his shot goes just over the box.
40
18:11
It is widely known that referees in England are a bit more generous. Today’s referee, Stuart Attwell, has the game on a very long leash today. This is good for the game for the most part, but now Azpilicueta should have seen a yellow card for a tactical foul.
37
18:09
To a large extent, all players except for LFC keeper Kelleher are in the half of the Blues, who hardly have any ball wins in midfield.
34
18:05
There is just over ten minutes to go before the break and at this stage the game is still clearly in Liverpool hands. Chelsea come back to a counterattack via Havertz, who, however, was offside.
30
18:01
Wow! What an act by Eduard Mendy! Liverpool play it really well down the left flank and it’s Keita who finishes off the backcourt. Mendy is down quickly and parries the low shot, but has to get back up quickly and is therefore also on the spot against Mane’s follow-up shot. Great reaction from the goalkeeper!
30
18:00
Liverpool is getting stronger! Meanwhile, the blues are still deep, but hardly get any relief in this phase. This phase clearly belongs to Jürgen Klopp’s men.
27
17:59
There is the next outcry, but this time only from the LFC. After a corner kick, Azpilicueta seems to hit the ball on his arm, but in slow motion you can see that it was his knee and the ball grazed his arm at most.
24
17:56
Mount and Keita deliver a racy running duel in midfield. Mount pushes from behind, Keita kicks around with his elbow. There was a bit of a commotion on and off the pitch as a result, but everyone calmed down after a short while.
21
17:52
Liverpool are awarded a free-kick from a good position and try a lay-off on Salah. The Egyptian’s shot, however, rushes well past the left post.
18
17:49
What a cross from Alexander-Arnold! The Englishman plays an outstanding volleyball behind the chain from the half field, but Mane is not quite optimally positioned and cannot hit the header cleanly. There was more in it!
16
17:47
Things calm down a bit here. Liverpool is getting a little more secure with the ball and Chelsea are now a little lower. After a brisk initial quarter of an hour, things are now more comfortable. Of course, that can change quickly with these two teams.
13
17:42
Liverpool now seems to have discovered their own left side. There, Mane and Dia’s opponent Chalobah repeatedly force into one-on-one and win. However, the crosses do not find their destination yet.
9
17:39
Liverpool have a little more of the game, at least in terms of ball control. However, Chelsea seems a bit more grippy in the initial phase and keeps getting the balls in midfield, only to then switch quickly.
6
17:37
There is the first huge chance for Chelsea! Kovacic gets the ball and forwards the leather to Havertz. He sees Azpilicueta on the right, whose low cross Pulisic basically only has to put into the corner from a short distance. However, the American’s conclusion is too central and sticks to Kelleher, who had made himself big.
4
17:34
You can tell straight away that a trophy is at stake here today. The teams are still playing with each other, but as far as intensity is concerned, the teams are there immediately and have been fighting each other several times.
1
17:31
Here we go! Liverpool opens the game and that in the red dress. Chelsea FC operates in blue. So the Reds and the Blues live up to their nicknames.
17:29
The players step onto the lawn and there is the first little surprise. Thiago is not part of the party. The former Bayern player injured himself while warming up and is now being replaced by another former Bundesliga club: Naby Keita has played in midfield from the start.
17:07
Both teams go into this game with a lot of tailwind. The teams each won their round of 16 in the Champions League 2-0. Liverpool beat Inter Milan, Chelsea defeated Lille. While Liverpool travel to Wembley with the additional recommendation of six league wins in a row, Chelsea can look back on good Premier League performances as well as the mentioned Club World Cup, which they finished as winners.
16:58
Chelsea FC also commented on the illegal war of aggression by President Putin and his henchmen against neighboring Ukraine. The club, which until recently was headed by the Russian oligarch Roman Abramowivich and which is now retiring, announced that the “situation in Ukraine is appalling and devastating” and that the club “is thinking of the people of Ukraine ” and pray for peace.
16:47
Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp, meanwhile, relies on former Schalke player Joel Matip in central defence. On the side of superstar Virgil van Dijk he should help to close the shop. Thiago should pull the strings in midfield. FC Bayern fans will vaguely remember how well the Spaniard often manages to do this. In the storm, hopes rest on the top duo Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.
16:43
As expected, Chelsea’s top signing Romelu Lukaku has to be content with a place on the bench again today. Instead, Thomas Tuchel again offers Kai Havertz as a “false nine”. The German national player has recently done this job very satisfactorily. He made the decision late in the Club World Cup final against Palmeiras, and in the Champions League he put his team on the winning track with an early goal during the week. His compatriot Antonio Rüdiger is also in the starting XI, while Timo Werner, see Lukaku, has to be satisfied with the joker role.
16:26
Hello and welcome to the English League Cup Final! At 5:30 p.m. in Wembley, Chelsea and Liverpool will be chasing the pot! Of course it is also the duel between the two German coaches, Thomas Tuchel against Jürgen Klopp. We hope you enjoy what we hope will be an exciting game!