Premier League Asia Trophy final: What to expect as Leicester City face Liverpool

Leicester City face Liverpool in the Premier League Asia Trophy final at the Hong Kong Stadium on Saturday as they look to end their pre-season tour on a high.

The Foxes beat West Bromwich Albion on penalties (7-6) on Thursday, and in doing so, they became one of the first clubs to have overcome an opponent in the ABBA penalty shootout system introduced by the UEFA to ensure that there’s no advantage for either side.

Speaking ahead of the weekend’s final, Manager Craig Shakespeare seemed particularly confident and optimistic. He told:

"“I am expecting another good quality game. I think you saw against West Brom it was very close and very open. It is a final but you have to remember it is pre-season still. “I don’t know how many games Liverpool have had but that was only our second game, so we are still moving towards fitness levels and improving fitness levels. “But when you put a competition in front of players natural instinct will tell you they want to win. That is the competitive edge. I would have it no different and I am sure the players will have it no different.”"

It’ll undoubtedly be a game that will help develop a better idea about how much Leicester City have improved, and whether they can compete for a top-four place at all. They did considerably well against West Brom, but this is going to be a completely different game with different challenges – It’s Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

Whichever the happier side may be when the final whistle is blown, it’s a fixture that guarantees to be laden with action, tests galore, and hopefully, goals too. Will City run the Reds over? Or will Liverpool grab themselves another easy win? Here’s what to expect from this delectable encounter: