Top 5 pre-season friendlies to watch

Some big clashes are happening in this pre-season!
Some big clashes are happening in this pre-season!

#3 Arsenal vs Inter Milan - 26th July (Florida Cup)

Arsenal will face a strong opposition in Serie A champions Inter Milan
Arsenal will face a strong opposition in Serie A champions Inter Milan

Before the Mind Series against their London rivals, Arsenal will be in the United States for the Florida Cup, an annual exhibition tournament between four sides.

There, the Gunners will come up against Inter Milan, the reigning Italian champions, although they're likely to be without many of their first-team stars who were involved in the Euros.

Yet the Nerazzurri faithful will keep an eye on this game and the cup in general, as Simone Inzaghi kick-starts his reign as their new manager and fans will be excited to see what's in store for them in the new season.

As for Arsenal, this will be another test of mettle for their first-team squad in their preparations for the 2021-22 season.


#2 Bayern Munich vs Napoli - 31st July (Audi Cup)

Bayern and Napoli last played at the Audi Cup in 2017
Bayern and Napoli last played at the Audi Cup in 2017

Sounds like a Champions League fixture. But for now we just have to contend with a friendly game between the sides.

Bayern Munich and Napoli, last meeting in Europe a decade ago will clash at the Audi Football Summit, a biennial two-day summit held in Munich.

That will be the closest the two sides come to facing each other in some time as Partenopei failed to qualify for next season's Champions League after coming fifth in the 2020-21 Serie A campaign.

Nevertheless, it promises to be some duel as the sides are likely to experiment with new line-ups and play some new players, promising quite a spectacle at the Allianz Arena.


#1 Barcelona vs Manchester City - 25th August (Joan Gamper Trophy)

Manchester City are the guests for this year's Joan Gamer Trophy
Manchester City are the guests for this year's Joan Gamer Trophy

There's a real possibility that Barcelona and Manchester City could face each other in the Champions League next season.

The Sky Blues are in pot one courtesy of their Premier League success last season, while the Catalans are in pot two after finishing third in La Liga.

If that were indeed to happen, this game could prep us up before their highly-anticipated meeting, although with much of the normal season resumed by then, we're likely to see a B-team participate.

Pep Guardiola's unofficial reunion with his former side may not transpire as they are sandwiched between games against Norwich City and Arsenal, while Barcelona will themselves be in action against Athletic Bilbao four days later.

However, the rivalry between the sides has grown so much in the last decade that some you won't mind watching even their weakened sides play, right?

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