Football Watch: Intriguing friendly ties during non-competitive week
Every Tuesday, Yahoo News Singapore will be previewing the most talked-about football matches for the week.
SINGAPORE — Every year, the last two weeks of July are something like a “dead zone” for top-level football.
The major club seasons have yet to start, and the important international competitions are usually completed by then. And so meaningful football clashes are hard to find in these couple of weeks.
Nonetheless, in recent years, the phenomenon of overseas pre-season tournaments has exploded in Asia and North America, as top European clubs travel thousands of kilometres to face one another in their build-up to the next season.
How useful such long-distance travelling to the clubs’ pre-season training remains debatable, but these tournaments are a godsend to their global fan bases, many of whom could not fly over to Europe to watch at the clubs’ home grounds.
And for neutrals, these tournaments throw up some interesting match-ups that rarely occur in proper competitions. Here are some of the more intriguing pre-season friendlies this week (all Singapore times):
Real Madrid v Arsenal (Wednesday, 7am)
Remarkably, these two popular and illustrious clubs have not played each other since 2006, and will meet in Landover, Maryland, for an International Champions Cup (ICC) tie.
Both will be eager to improve on their unsatisfactory 2018/19 seasons. Arsenal blew hot and cold in the English Premier League to finish fifth, and missed out on winning a trophy after losing to Chelsea in the Europa League final.
They still have a formidable strike duo in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, and have been giving their youngsters such as Edward Nketiah chances to shine in pre-season. So far, it has been working well with two straight ICC wins for the Gunners.
Real Madrid also had a mediocre 2018/19 season by their high standards, finishing only third in the Spanish La Liga and going only as far as the round-of-16 in the Champions League.
Zinedine Zidane is back as head coach, and while he has brought in exciting new players such as Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic, he has also caused controversy in publicly shutting out Gareth Bale.
The Spanish giants will be looking to bounce back from a poor 1-3 defeat by Bayern Munich in their first ICC outing. With both Real and Arsenal committed to attacking football, will fans get to see a cracker of a match?
Paris Saint Germain v Inter Milan (Saturday, 7.30pm)
These two elite European clubs have never played each other in competitive matches, only meeting twice before in friendlies.
And both are feeling the heat this summer, being involved in constant transfer rumours.
PSG are dogged by reports that their biggest star and record signing, Brazil’s Neymar, wants to leave the French club. He had reported late to pre-season training, and his agent has been agitating for a transfer back to Barcelona.
It is a fresh blow to PSG’s hopes of winning the Champions League, an ambition which they have not fulfilled since their Qatari owners took over the club in 2011. Nonetheless, Neymar – as well as French star Kylian Mbappe – will likely travel with the squad to Macau for this friendly match.
Inter, on the other hand, are linked with Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, who has long been admired by new head coach Antonio Conte. The Italian has made no secret that the Belgian would be an improvement to his current squad, and has also frozen out Inter forward Mauro Icardi, likely in anticipation of Lukaku’s arrival.
However, a reported initial bid has been rejected by the Red Devils, and Conte is reportedly already unhappy at his new club for not raising the bid. With few striker options available, the Inter coach may have to resort to a similar defensive display as Inter’s 0-1 ICC defeat by Man United in Singapore on Saturday.
Which of these two club can dispel the uncertainties amid them with a victory?
Liverpool v Napoli (Monday, 12am)
Unlike the two above-mentioned match-ups, Liverpool and Napoli have met as recently as last year’s Champions League group stage.
Napoli won their home tie 1-0, but Liverpool’s 1-0 Anfield win was more significant, as it ensure the Reds’ advancing to the next stage and pushing the Italian side into the Europa League at the same time.
They will meet in Edinburgh for this friendly tie, and Liverpool will be without their main forward line of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino – all of whom are still on holiday after representing their international sides in the summer. Their Champions League final hero Divock Origi will therefore lead the front line in their absence.
That could mean that Napoli, with key striker Lorenzo Insigne and defender Kalidou Koulibaly available, could avenge that Champions League loss on Monday.
Can Liverpool avoid defeat against a strong Napoli squad?
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