Overview
It is time to start the 2025-2026 season when Crystal Palace face Liverpool in the English Super Cup match.
Liverpool entered the match as Premier League champions, having easily won their 20th national championship in the 2024-2025 season, thereby equaling Manchester United's record. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace surprisingly got their first major trophy when they beat Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final in May.
This is the fourth time The Kop have participated in the English Super Cup in the past 7 years, equal to the number of times participating in the previous 28 years. They lost on penalties in 2019 (to Man City) and 2020 (to Arsenal), but won in 2022 when they beat Man City 3-1 at King Power.
Crystal Palace will make their first appearance in the Community Shield. However, statistics do not support them much: The 4 most recent teams participating in this match for the first time could not win the championship. More notably, two of those were against Liverpool (Southampton in 1976 and Wimbledon in 1988).
The win over Wimbledon in 1988 was also Liverpool's only Community Shield in their last six appearances as national champions.
On the other hand, recent FA Cup champions have often played well. In the last nine editions of the English Super Cup, which was between the champions of the tournament and the FA Cup champions, the FA Cup champions have won seven times. However, last season, Man City - the Premier League champions beat Man United, the reigning FA Cup champions, on penalties.
The upcoming match will also be the first time since 1989 that the two teams have faced each other in the English Super Cup after facing each other in the final match of last season. Liverpool then beat Arsenal 1-0 to pay off their debt after being overtaken by the "Gunners" to win the Premier League with a dramatic 2-0 win at Anfield in the final round of the 1988-1989 season.
Liverpool lost to Newcastle at Wembley in March in the Carabao Cup final and will be determined to make up for their mistakes. They have never lost twice at the national stadium in the same calendar year.
As for Crystal Palace, they have a good record at Wembley: winning 4 out of 6 matches since the stadium reopened in 2007. In neutral matches, Palace only lost to Man United ( FA Cup final 2016) and Chelsea ( FA Cup semi-final 2022).
Personnel situation
Oliver Glasner's side enter the game with just two additions in the summer transfer window. They are left-back Borna Sosa from Ajax and veteran goalkeeper Walter Benitez, a former PSV player, also from the Eredivisie.
The important thing is that they have so far retained key stars, including Eberechi Eze - who stayed despite Arsenal's interest. Eze was the winner of the FA Cup final in May and has contributed to 12 goals in his last 13 games for Palace in all competitions (9 goals, 3 assists).
Glasner confirmed on Friday that Eddie Nketiah will be out for another 8 weeks due to injury, while Matheus Franca and young talent Caleb Kporha are also absent.
On the other side of the front line, Liverpool has increased their force to continue the success of last season. Former Bayer Leverkusen, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz are likely to start, while Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike could also be in the starting lineup.
Mohamed Salah has had an impressive season, scoring 57 goals in 52 matches in all competitions. However, since scoring against Tottenham Hotspur in his first match at Wembley in October 2017, the Egyptian star has failed to score in the last 7 matches at this stadium.
Head-to-head record
This will be the first time the two teams have met at Wembley Stadium. In the last 16 confrontations in all competitions, Palace have only won one (3 draws, 3 losses 12). That was a 1-0 win at Anfield in the Premier League in April 2024.
Last season, Liverpool won 1-0 at Selhurst Park, then drew 1-1 in the final round at Anfield, right before they lifted the Premier League trophy.
Score prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
The English Super Cup match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool takes place at 9:00 p.m. on August 10 (Vietnam time), live on FPT Play.
