SA Reds will have to turn to piracy to watch Liverpool vs Crystal Palace

In a bizarre decision, SuperSport will not carry Liverpool’s final game of the season as part of its Premier League coverage on Sunday.

No Liverpool or Chelsea matches on SuperSport

The race for the final Champions League places is one of the few points of interest on the day, but neither Liverpool’s match against Crystal Palace, nor Chelsea’s fixture against Aston Villa will be broadcast live.

Liverpool need only match Leicester City’s result against Tottenham to ensure they finish in at least fourth place but South African audiences can only watch the Foxes’ fixture if the battle takes their fancy in what looks like a big scheduling error.

Scheduling balls up

All matches on the final day of the season go out at the same time, but only four will be broadcast on SuperSport in their entirety. 

The other matches set to be broadcast are the West Ham clash with Southampton, Arsenal’s meeting with Brighton and Champions Manchester City’s match against Everton which will include the trophy presentation.

SuperSport are the official broadcaster of the English Premier League in South Africa but it is unclear if their agreement allows them to hand-pick fixtures themselves. Either way the failure to send out two of the biggest matches on the final day will leave a sour taste in the mouth of the many EPL fans in South Africa.

Liverpool’s shot at redemption

Liverpool fans will be eager to see their team make a strong finish to what has been a dissapointing defence of their first top-flight title in 30 years.

The Reds put themselves back into contention for Europe with a sensational 4-2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier this month, before a stunning added time goal from keeper Alisson ensured that Jurgen Klopp’s men still had their fate in their own hands come the season climax.

Chelsea overcame Leicester City in an ill-tempered affair to assume the more comfortable position. They will qualify for the Champions League if they win but could also reach Europe’s elite competition if they lose by two goals or less and one or both of the other sides plays to a stalemate. If the Blues somehow miss out, they will have another shot at qualification when they meet Manchester City in an all English Champions League final next weekend.