National Stadium fills up to welcome Liverpool and Crystal Palace

Hours before kickoff of the highly anticipated match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace on Friday (July 15), fans had already begun partying outside the National Stadium.

Decked out in jerseys, hats and scarfs, pockets of fans were heard singing the Liverpool anthem, You'll Never Walk Alone, along the Kallang River or chanting "Allez, Allez, Allez" at the OCBC Square two hours before the 8.35pm start.

The Premier League clubs are in Singapore for the one-off Standard Chartered Singapore Trophy and will play in front of a packed 55,000-capacity National Stadium.

Long-time fans Taufiq Wahab and Dinessh Raaj were there early to soak up the atmosphere with their friends and family.

Taufiq, who was in attendance the last time Liverpool played here in 2009, said: "I'm really excited to sing (with the other fans during the match) because Liverpool brought us all together and there's a sense of belonging (when we're doing that).

"This is my first time meeting Dinessh and it's nice that the club is bringing so many people together.

"This might not be Anfield but we will make it like Anfield for the players."

Another Reds supporter Pranav Gour even made sure to listen to Liverpool's fan chants on repeat before the match so that he would be able to sing along during the match.

This is the 25-year-old's first time watching Liverpool live since he became a fan in 2005 and he plans to sing the club anthem at the top of his lungs.

He said: "I actually told myself that I would visit Anfield when we won the Premier League but Covid-19 hit that year so this opportunity was one that I couldn't miss.

"I'm super excited. I hope to see one of Roberto Firmino's signature celebrations after he scores and I'm just hoping to have a good time."

The match also attracted foreign fans, with Thai pair Rosaline Murada and Sai Kamonchanok making their way from Bangkok.

Sai, 41, said: "This is a great chance to meet the team face-to-face because we don't know when we'll be able to go to England to watch them.

"It will be my first time seeing them and I'm looking forward to watching Virgil van Dijk in action."

Crystal Palace fan Gareth Guyers did not mind being among the minority of Palace fans at the stadium.

The Briton, who has been a fan since 1990, said: "Everyone is very cordial and welcoming and it's like a festival here. The energy is great, everyone's having a laugh and making jokes and I hope we can carry this into the match later on too."