Manchester City to topple Liverpool

The Community Shield is England’s Super Cup that gives the winner bragging rights and a psychological edge in a battle between teams that garnered an astounding total of 195 Premier League points between them. AFP PHOTOS

What you need to know:

  • Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva will be on hands to poke holes in Liverpool’s usually impregnable back line. For the Kop haven’t been executing the gungho, full pitch pressing modus operandi that won them plaudits last season.

Community Shield
Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool. Chide anyone who suggests Sunday’s season opener between domestic treble winners Manchester City and Champions League winners Liverpool is a glorified friendly. Far from it, the Community Shield is England’s Super Cup that gives the winner bragging rights and a psychological edge in a battle between teams that garnered an astounding total of 195 Premier League points between them.
Player absentees and preseason form are the reason I am tipping Pep Guardiola’s trailblazers to eclipse Jurgen Klopp’s hard as nails warriors.

Liverpool without the dangerous front three of Mo Salah, Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane, plus Golden Glove winner Allison Becker are a different kettle of fish to the side that lost just one EPL game last season. Manchester City are worse for the absence of Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and Fernandinho - all of whom are on extended holiday following their Copa America exertions - but they can cope better.

Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva will be on hands to poke holes in Liverpool’s usually impregnable back line. For the Kop haven’t been executing the gungho, full pitch pressing modus operandi that won them plaudits last season.

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Bayern Munich 3-2 Borussia Dortmund.
Lucien Favre’s Black and Yellows reacted to their second half implosion last season by recruiting experienced centre back Matt Hummels from Bayern Munich. Hummels and Thorgan Hazard are among the newcomers expected to line up against the Bavarians who are playing without retired wing dynamos Arjen Robben and Frank Ribery for the first time in a decade. Bayern wiped the floor with Dortmund last time they met. It will be a much closer contest this time round.

French Super Cup
Paris Saint Germain 3-1 Rennes.
The French Super Cup offers Thomas Tuchel’s side the perfect opportunity to erase the ignominy of losing to Rennes in the Coupe de France in a game that saw PSG star Neymar involved in a regrettable altercation with an opposition fan. New arrivals Idriss Gana Gueye and Ander Herrera will marshal central midfield for the Parisians whom I am backing to thrive.

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