6 mouth-watering clashes of the upcoming season in European football

Some football matches are laden with more meaning than others, matches and moments for which players train all their lives. The countdown to the 2014-15 football season is well and truly underway, and with the view of marking important matchdays in the calendar, here is a look at some matches which promise to have no love lost between the teams.

#6 Liverpool vs Southampton (17th August 2014)

Liverpool start off their campaign at Anfield against a Southampton side much depleted from last season, with their most important midfielder and forward from 2013-14 both moving to Merseyside in the summer transfer window. Southampton players Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert scored 22 goals and had 16 assists to their name in the last Premier League, both figures more than the rest of their team combined.

The last meet between the two sides had resulted in an away victory for Southampton courtesy a goal by defender Dejan Lovren, who incidentally has joined club talisman Lallana and Lambert in making the switch to Anfield.

The Saints will need to labour to hold on to a hard-earned 8th place finish, but their heroes from last time around will be on the other side of the line.