Costa-Skrtel clash in Chelsea-Liverpool legends charity game

Diego Costa and Martin Skrtel renewed a lengthy on‑field rivalry during a Chelsea versus Liverpool legends charity match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with Costa shown a yellow card after a series of confrontations in a game Liverpool won 1-0. The fixture, played to raise funds for the Chelsea and LFC foundations, saw former professionals from both clubs return to Stamford Bridge for 90 minutes of competitive exhibition football.

The flashpoint came in the first half when Skrtel slid in from behind to win possession off Costa. Costa rose immediately and squared up to the former Liverpool centreback, prompting the referee to intervene. Minutes later, Costa collided with Skrtel as the defender received a pass, sending Skrtel to the turf and drawing loud reactions from the crowd. Teammates from both sides moved in to separate the pair and the referee issued a yellow card to Costa before play continued.

Ryan Babel scored the match’s only goal in the 78th minute, finishing a counterattack to give the Liverpool legends the narrow victory. The Chelsea side included several high-profile former players, among them John Terry, Eden Hazard and Petr Cech, while Liverpool’s team featured...