Liverpool and Chelsea have confirmed their starting XIs for today’s Legends game at Anfield, with Steven Gerrard among those starting at Anfield.
Stars of the Reds and Blues’ past make their return on Merseyside today for the annual game in aid of the LFC Foundation. Sir Kenny Dalglish takes charge of Liverpool today, and he is ably assisted by Ian Rush, John Aldridge and John Barnes.
Chelsea, meanwhile, is managed by Roberto Di Matteo, with both sides boasting some of their clubs’ biggest names from down the years. The likes of Gerrard, Sami Hyypia and Peter Crouch are all set to line up for Liverpool, while the visitors have the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Claude Makelele in their ranks.
There will be some history made at Anfield as well today, with the first women’s player set to appear for the Legends. Natasha Dowie will be aiming to make an appearance for Liverpool, while Katie Chapman is in line to feature for Chelsea.
Liverpool’s starting XI boasts plenty of fan favorites, with Gerrard captaining the side as he makes his return to Anfield. He’s joined in the side by Jerzy Dudek, Sami Hyypia and Igor Biscan, who were all part of the 2005 squad that won the Champions League in Istanbul against AC Milan.
Also starting are Ragnar Klavan, Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel, Mohamed Sissoko, Gregory Vignal and Martin Kelly, as well as current academy coach Jay Spearing.
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Dowie will be hoping to make an appearance from the bench, where she’s joined by the likes of Peter Crouch, Djibril Cisse, Yossi Benayoun, Sander Westerveld and David James. Unfortunately, Martin Skrtel – who was named in the original squad – misses out after picking up an injury.
As for Chelsea, Hasselbaink and Makelele both start alongside Carlo Cudicini, Jose Bosingwa, Robert Huth, William Gallas, Celestine Babayaro, Dennis Wise, John Obi Mikel, Ramires and Florent Malouda, with Zola among the names on the bench.
Liverpool Legends team: Dudek, Hyypia, Gerrard, Klavan, Kuyt, Babel, Spearing, Sissoko, Biscan, Vignal, Kelly.
Subs: Westerveld, James, Aurelio, Kvarme, Benayoun, Dowie, Crouch, Sinama Pongolle, Cisse, Gonzalez, Riera.
Chelsea Legends team: Cudicini, Bosingwa, Huth, Gallas, Babayaro, Wise, Mikel, Makelele, Ramires, Hasselbaink, Malouda.
Subs: Green, Chapman, Remy, Sinclair, Gudjohnsen, Zola, Harley, Mancienne, Smith.
