Club Friendly: Manchester United are Back to Square One
Manchester United vs Leeds United
After a one-month hiatus, Manchester United will open their preseason series against Premier League clubs, starting with a Club Friendly against Leeds United at the Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden, this Saturday.
The Red Devils are back to square one after a horrendous 15th-place run in the English top-flight standings last term, which was their worst-ever finish. Ruben Amorim will look to right the ship, despite the club’s underwhelming summer transfer window thus far, by building some momentum this preseason.
On the other hand, Leeds United are ecstatic to be back in the Premier League after a two-season hiatus. Daniel Farke’s men are having a productive summer transfer window (in contrast with Manchester United), and the Whites will likely use the preseason to gauge how they can stack up among England’s finest teams.
The SBOTOP Club Friendly 2025 odds expect Manchester United to win, but they don’t have a large margin for error.
Talking Points
Onana unavailable for Manchester United
Fans will finally get to see Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon suiting up for Manchester United for the first time this weekend, and for sure, they will provide them with a healthy dose of Club Friendly 2025 highlights. Other players such as Bruno Fernandes, Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund, and Amad Diallo will also do the same. Diogo Dalot will wear No. 2 on his jersey for the first time, and Lisandro Martinez is back at full strength after his leg injury.
However, the audience won’t get to see Andre Onana in action, as the Cameroonian goalkeeper recently sustained a hamstring injury. Amorim expects Onana to be out for much of the preseason, so he’ll choose between Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton to be the man between the sticks. The manager could also play youngsters like Elyh Harrison, Radek Vitek, or Dermot Mee.
Andre Onana celebrates after Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund scored during their Europa League match against Viktoria Plzen
Onana has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this season, as Manchester United were named as a possible transfer destination for Emiliano Martinez, who just left Aston Villa. However, no move between the two parties is imminent, so Onana remains the team’s first-choice.
Another thing to watch for Manchester United’s preseason is how Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia fit into the team’s plans. Mainoo has been an odd fit to Amorim’s tactics thus far, while Garnacho, Sancho, Antony, and Malacia are on the team’s sell list this summer.
Leeds United could feature the new recruits
Leeds United have been busy in the transfer market, acquiring the likes of Jaka Bijol, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Sebastiaan Bournauw, and Felix Nmecha, and they could feature against Manchester United. The Whites also recruited Sean Longstaff from Newcastle United, though Saturday could come too early for his Leeds United debut. Jack Harrison will also get his chance after two straight years on loan at Everton.
Joel Piroe and Willy Gnonto will take charge of the scoring for Leeds United, with Largie Ramazani and Patrick Bamford as their off-the-bench options. Ilia Gruev and Ao Tanaka will operate in the middle of the park in a double pivot, while Joe Rodon and Ethan Ampadu will link up again at centre-half.
History
As mentioned, Manchester United are coming off their worst Premier League finish following their 15th-place run in the English top-flight standings with only 42 points. This means that the Red Devils won’t play in Europe for the first time in a long while, although this could be a blessing in disguise for Ruben Amorim and co. schedule-wise.
Meanwhile, Leeds United are back in the Premier League after they were relegated at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. After losing to Southampton in the play-off last year, the Whites secured their English top-flight return after finishing at the top of the EFL Championship table in 2024-25 with 100 points.
Manchester United and Leeds United have one of the biggest rivalries in English football, called the Roses rivalry. Since 1923, these two teams have faced off in 113 matches, with the Red Devils notching 50 wins and the Whites registering 37 wins and 26 draws.
Club Friendly: Will Sevilla be Too Hot for the Black Cats?
Sevilla vs Sunderland
Premier League newcomers Sunderland are in warm-weather training in preparation for their return to the English top-flight, and the Club Friendly between Sevilla and Sunderland is the first chance for the Black Cats to see how they compare in the world of elite football.
They could hardly have picked a hotter place to test themselves as they head to the Algarve in Portugal, where they will play a double header, firstly against La Liga side Sevilla and then against Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon.
The Algarve is a popular holiday destination for golfers and beach lovers, but Sevilla and Sunderland are there to put in some hard work, and both have plenty on their plates before the new campaign begins.
Talking Points
Can Almeyda sort Seville?
After a 17th placed finish in the Primera Division last term, Sevilla moved to make yet another change in the dugout. And in the biggest Club Friendly 2025 news to emerge from Andalucia this summer, they appointed Argentine manager Matias Almeyda following the departure of Xavier Garcia. In his last role at AEK Athens, he led the Greek side to its first domestic league and cup double since 1978, and Sevilla fans hope he can restore some pride to their team.
Remarkably, Almeyda is the club’s eighth manager in three seasons, which reflects the turmoil in Seville, with the memory of five Europa League triumphs in a sparkling decade up to 2023 beginning to seem distant. It appears the board wants to instill some passion and discipline into the squad with this appointment.
Almeyda’s approach is said to be heavily influenced by his former manager and countryman Marcelo Bielsa, with a high-intensity, attacking style of play, and he also incorporates a Japanese Samurai code of conduct in his coaching, with a heavy emphasis on courage, respect, honesty, duty, and loyalty.
Sevilla’s Rafa Mir celebrates after scoring a goal during their La Liga match against Real Madrid in 2023
As a player, Almeyda was a tenacious defensive midfielder, a terrier with stamina and a superb work-rate and tough tackling, earning him the nickname “The Little Tractor”. And his new bosses hope he can instill those qualities in his new team.
Two players are back from loan spells. Striker Rafa Mir is back from Valencia and winger Adnan Januzaj has returned from Las Palmas, and it will be interesting to see how quickly Almeyda can get a tune out of these and others.
Bellingham departure prompts a Sunderland spending spree
As my SBOTOP colleague Jordan writes, Sunderland were on a bad run before they beat Sheffield United in the play-off final, but they pulled off the win, which stunned the Blades, who had expected to earn automatic promotion until they too suffered a run of losses to leave Leeds United and Burnley to head off into the distance.
It was an unexpected promotion for the Black Cats, but they started the season with a superb run of wins, and that was enough to carry them through to the play-offs. Under head coach Regie Le Bris, Sunderland played attractive, fast-passing football. But much of the play went through Jobe Bellingham, who starred for Borussia Dortmund at the Club World Cup after switching to the Bundesliga side immediately after the end of the season, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Jude.
After guiding the team to an impressive fourth-placed finish, Le Bris has been backed by his board of directors who have sanctioned a €100 million spending spree, which they hope will help their manager defy the odds that predict the Black Cats to finish bottom.
21-year-old midfielder Habib Diarra has arrived in a £30 million switch from Strasbourg, while Ivorian winger Simon Adingra has moved from Brighton for £20 million, the same as the fee to make another winger,
Enzo Le Fe’s loan move from Roma is permanent. The 25-year-old played 15 games for the Black Cats following his arrival in January, scoring one goal, and the mandatory option to buy at £20 million was triggered on promotion.
Defensive midfielder Noah Sadiki has arrived in a £17.5 million move from Union Saint-Gilloise, while another young winger, Chemsdine Talbi, has been transferred from another Belgian side Club Brugge for a cool £19 million. Except for Adingra, there is no Premier League experience among this young group, and that will be a huge challenge for Le Bris when he starts life in the toughest league in the world.
The Black Cats had a run out last week against National League North side South Shields, winning 4-0 as Wilson Isidor, another star of Sunderland’s 2024-25 promotion, opened the scoring. And the Club Friendly 2025 odds know it’s on to a tougher test for Sunderland in a hotter country, where Le Bris will learn a whole lot more.
Club Friendly: Arsenal and Milan on an Eastern Adventure
Arsenal vs AC Milan
The Singapore Festival of Football is set to kick off this week when Club Friendly: Arsenal vs AC Milan is the fare on offer for the locals… and any lucky travelling fans.
It’s the second of the Singaporean football jamborees and to have the giants of European football in the city-state is a great way for Arsenal and AC Milan to spread their commercial appeal as well as upping their match-fitness levels in preparation for the new domestic campaigns.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are hoping to add to their 13 Premier League titles, after coming so close in recent years, while Massimiliano Allegri’s reign as AC Milan manager starts with high expectations. I Rossoneri are 19-times Scudetto winners and, after an eighth-place finish last term, the Serie A betting odds predict a top four place and maybe more, as they will have quieter fixture lists than their competitors.
Gunners’ search for a striker goes on
Here at SBOTOP we’ve followed Arsenal’s search for a striker for almost 12 months now and, while the Gunners do seem to be getting closer they still haven’t got a proven goal scorer through the door. Sporting Lisbon striker Victor Gyokeres has been the main target during this transfer window, but there appears to be a risk of that deal collapsing, despite the Swede’s keenness to head to North London.
The latest Premier League news suggests the deal is still close, but there is work to do to iron out differences in the two clubs’ expectations around add-ons, both are looking at a figure of around 10m Euros but with differing structures. The fee is £55m but the add-ons are an important aspect and the Gunners will be keen to get it sorted, with Manchester United also circling. Arsenal have spread their search and have been watching 20 year old Mainz 05 striker Nelson Weiper, a strong and powerful figure who, at 6ft 3in, would be able to cope with the rigours of Premier League football.
Arsenal have already made some summer purchases, bringing in Martin Zubimendi to support the excellent Declan Rice in the centre of midfield, while winger Noni Madueke has signed from Chelsea; though the 22-year old has been left at home since his arrival at the Emirates having starred for Chelsea in the Club World Cup.
This is a squad dripping with talent and Gunners fans will hope that Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz can stay fit and firing this summer, while a 20 goals a man striker remains the priority.
Milan looking to add to Modric and Ricci
The Big Boys in Serie A are jockeying for position and the 2025/26 Scudetto race looks like becoming an exciting prospect already. The recruitment of Allegri as head coach has signalled I Rossoneri’s intent and the club has already made some astute signings. Box to box midfielder Samuele Ricci has arrived from Torino in a 23m Euros switch and, with ten Azzurri caps already he is a much admired player, technically gifted with an excellent vision and passing range. At the other end of his career, the evergreen Luka Modric has transferred in after 13 glittering campaigns at Real Madrid. The 39-year old Croat will get plenty of game time but Allegri will use him carefully.
Real Madrid star Luka Modric in action during their 2025 Club World Cup match against PSG
Milan are closing in on a deal to sign right back Pervis Estupinan from Brighton and Hove Albion and Marc Pubill from Almeria, two moves to strengthen the Rossoneri’s defensive unit and they too are in the market for a proven striker. Juventus goal-getter Dusan Vlahovic has been the subject of constant transfer speculation in recent weeks and his time at Juventus must surely be coming to an end after three years in Turin in which he has scored 43 goals in 104 appearances. The 25-year old Serb has an impressive track record with 44 goals in 98 appearances for Fiorentina before he moved to Turin in 2022. To get close to a one in two ratio in the Italian top flight is some achievement over five campaigns… and Vlahovic is yet to reach his prime.
With 12 months left on his contract, Vlahovic will be on the move this summer you’d expect and, if so, he may well rock up at the San Siro where he would get plenty of service from the likes of Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and Rafael Leao. But, in Italy, the big deals are rarely straight forward and that is sure to be the case with Vlahovic. Juventus are yet to receive an offer and it seems to be a game of chess between the selling and buying clubs, with the player’s wages no small issue.
Club Friendly: Liverpool and AC Milan at the Kai Tak
Liverpool vs AC Milan
Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park is open after 13 years in planning, and five years later than scheduled, but on Saturday it will host two of football’s greatest ever teams when Club Friendly: Liverpool vs AC Milan is the blockbuster clash at the 50,000 seater stadium.
This is the first football club match to be played at the stadium Kai Tak after it was christened on 10th June when Hong Kong beat India 1-0 in a 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification clash. Liverpool and AC Milan will contest the Standard Chartered Trophy on the 20th anniversary of their epic Champions League final in 2005, which Liverpool won on penalties after coming back from a half time three goal deficit.
Liverpool and Milan have history and they are about to get it on again in the newest and shiniest stadium on the planet.
Liverpool’s new signings on show
Arne Slot took over from Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager little over 12 months ago and very few Reds fans could have dreamt just how well it would go. But the Dutch master worked wonders as his team stormed to the title in superb style, and the SBOTOP Premier League 2025 betting odds back them to do it again. So it’s no surprise the board at Anfield have backed their man and he has already strengthened significantly.
The Reds have been pursuing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak recently, but without enough encouragement from the Swede they have moved to bring in Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Etikite, a big and quick player who will fit perfectly in the Premier League. The Frenchman arrived in London on Tuesday for a medical and looks set to complete a £79m move which will bring Liverpool’s summer spending to a cool £300m. Etikite will be the Reds’ fifth big signing of the summer, the marquee capture being that of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. He was followed from Germany by wingback Jeremie Frimpong, another flying fullback Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth and Georgian keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia.
Florian Wirtz is one of Liverpool’s signing before 2025-26 season begins
All four will be in the party for Hong Kong, as will midfield ace Alexis MacAllister and winger Luis Diaz, but there will be no sign of Federico Chiesa who the club says has an injury currently being assessed…but the Italian has been linked wit a move away from Anfield after just one season at the club.
Milan’s season of renewal
Among the Serie A big boys, Milan are the only ones without the distraction of European football next season, though their fans and club owners may not see it that way. With Napoli, Inter Milan, Atalanta and Juventus in the Champions League, AS Roma and Fiorentina in the Europa League and Lazio in the Conference League, all of I Rossoneri’s rivals with have much busier schedules. And new manager Max Allegri knows how to take advantage of any edge his teams have. In his first stint as Rossoneri manager he delivered the Scudetto in 2010 and he went on to win five more as manager of Juventus, where he also picked up five Coppa Italias. This is a manger who knows how to win and he is building a squad of players who will follow his philosophy of calmness and tactical intelligence with total commitment and a steely focus on the prize.
Serie A 2025 results is what Allegri is all about and he needs men on the pitch who can deliver week in, week out.
With European football off the agenda there was bound to be some players happy to leave, and forward Tijjani Reijdners has gone to Manchester City while wingback Theo Hernandez has signed for Al Hilal, managed by former Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi. Through the in door there was the eye-catching signing of Croatia and Real Madrid legend Luka Modric and another couple of smart recruits.
23 year old midfielder Samuele Ricci has arrived from Torino and he looks to be a superb signing. After winning Player of the Season at his first club Empoli he signed for Il Toro where he played 106 matches in three campaigns as well as picking up ten Italy caps. At the other end of his career 35 year old goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano has arrived from Fiorentina and he’ll be a fine back-up for club captain Mike Maignan.
Modric won’t be lining up against Liverpool as he, alongside Mexican forward Santiago Gimenez, is not in the camp but there will be plenty of stars on show. In front of Ricci, Allegri is likely to field a strong creative unit, led by USA star Christian Pulisic and with Rafael Leao, Yunus Musah and Alexis Saelemaekers all capable of winning matches with their own individual skills. At the other end of the pitch Allegri will build his rearguard around a centre back partnership of Fikayo Tomori and Matteo Gabbia, in front of Maignan, and we could see the majority of his Serie A starting line-up in Hong Kong.
Club Friendly: Cross Pennine Trip for Parker’s Clarets
Huddersfield Town vs Burnley
Burnley’s pre-season preparations continue on Saturday when they cross the border from Lancashire into Yorkshire to take on Huddersfield Town.
The Clarets have been on warm weather training in Portugal where they played out a 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and now they return home to continue their approach to another Premier League campaign. Club Friendly: Huddersfield Town vs Burnley will be followed by a trip to Stoke and then a tasty home clash with Serie A giants Lazio before the serious business starts on 16th August when Scott Parker’s men visit Tottenham Hotspur in their season opener.
Huddersfield Town will start their 2025/26 promotion campaign with a new man at the helm as former goalkeeper Lee Grant becomes the Terriers’ seventh manager since the beginning of 2023. The last time the two teams met, in 2023, the Clarets ran out 4-0 winners as they marched towards promotion while the Terriers narrowly avoided relegation. And the following year, Huddersfield were relegated to the third tier, where they stayed last term with a tenth place finish.
It’s not one of the glamour pre-season friendlies but Burnley and Huddersfield are two northern clubs with rich histories and mutual respect, and this is always a great game for the fans.
Burnley aiming for a solid start
The pre-season Premier League 2025 betting odds, here at SBOTOP and across the market, predict a tough campaign for the three newcomers, Burnley, Leeds United and Sunderland. And the Clarets are hoping to learn from their disastrous campaign under Vincent Kompany in 2023/24 when they were relegated with a paltry 24 points, and the fewest number of victories in a season in the club’s 143-year history.
Between 2016 and 2022, the Clarets had six consecutive campaigns in the Premier League under Sean Dyche with an average position of 13th and a foray into the Europa League in 2018. After another promotion with a 100 points tally, that type of run is what Parker and the club’s owners are aiming for and, while the top clubs have their own aspirations and are spending big, there is no shortage of ambition in the small East Lancashire town. It’s all about Premier League 2025 results and the club is working hard to equip itself to get off the mark quickly, with a home game against Sunderland following the trip to Spurs.
Kyle Walker has inked a two-year deal with Premier League newcomers Burnley
Centre back CJ Egan Reilly has transferred to Olympique Marseilles and it looks likely keeper James Trafford may be on his way back to Manchester City. But, among a number of impressive signings, including Netherlands international wingback Quilindschy Hartman and centre back Axel Tuanzebe, Kyle Walker has been the eye-catching recruit.
Just a year ago Walker was a key part of Manchester City’s 2024 league winning team and is four caps from being an England centurian and he will be a huge figure in the Clarets’ campaign. And, if Trafford does head to the Etihad we may well see another player or two coming the other way.
Huddersfield Boss goes down Memory Lane
This is Terriers boss Lee Grant’s first job in management after spending three years in Kieran McKenna’s coaching group at Ipswich Town. Being a coach and being the gaffer are two entirely different things but Grant is undaunted after signing a three-year deal. The 42-year-old said: “There are no guarantees, and I think anyone who has been in the game long enough has seen the full raft of decision-making processes and the wide-ranging results of those decisions. What I’m pleased with about is Huddersfield Town and me have a huge alignment of what we think has got a really good chance of working for us this year.”
Grant might meet a few old friends in the Clarets’ entourage when they arrive in Huddersfield. He played 114 games for the Clarets during Burnley’s last stint of more than a year in the second tier of English football, and he will be pleased to seeing his old team thriving. But not at 2pm on Saturday!
Terriers fans will hope to see their new big signing, Alfe May, playing against Burnley after he switched from Birmingham City to Huddersfield when the Blues returned to the Championship following promotion in May. He scored 16 goals for Birmingham last term though May was close to signing for Huddersfield before the 2024/25 campaign began.
Now Grant hope May can help him plan to emulate Birmingham’s success and bring some stability to the club, in the hope they can establish themselves as League One contenders. He will get some idea where his squad sits when it meets Premier League opponents at the weekend.
Premier League Summer Series: Toffees and Cherries Should Give Fans a Sweet Treat
Luton Town vs Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham will continue their preseason preparations under new head coach Thomas Frank, as they will visit Kenilworth Road this Saturday to face Luton Town in their next Club Friendly. The Spurs are fresh from a 2-0 win against Reading, and they’re hoping to build more momentum with another road victory.
The Spurs’ youngsters took the spotlight against Reading, but Frank is expected to field more senior players against the Hatters. Either way, the pregame Club Friendly 2025 odds expect Tottenham to breeze past Luton Town.
The Tottenham match is Luton Town’s final preseason game before they have a few days to rest ahead of their opening League One contest against AFC Wimbledon. Matt Bloomfield’s men are coming off a 3-0 win over Boreham Wood, and back-to-back 2-0 results over Gillingham and Southend United earlier this week, and they will fancy their chances against their Premier League counterparts.
Without further ado, here is today’s match preview, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Talking Points
Luton Town face uphill climb
As mentioned, Luton Town are undefeated this preseason, which is a step in the right direction. After consecutive relegations in the past two seasons, head coach Matt Bloomfield is on a mission to rebuild his squad to make it back to the English top-flight. Bloomfield replaced Rob Edwards at the helm last January, and this is his first full summer with the Hatters.
Following their relegation to League One, several players have left Luton Town, including Carlton Morris and Thelo Aasgaard. However, they signed nine players in return, including Nahki Wells, Hakeem Odoffin, Gideon Kodua, and Nigel Lonwijk. The Hatters also managed to keep Tom Lockyer, Teden Mengi, Marvelous Nakamba, Tahith Chong, Jordan Clark, Shandon Baptiste, and Elijah Adebayo.
In their most recent club friendly against Southend United, Luton Town won 2-0, courtesy of goals from Cauley Woodrow and Lasse Nordas. However, the Hatters left Roots Hall anxious, as centre-backs Teden Mengi and Mads Andersen were forced off the pitch after some nasty collisions. Bloomfield will unlikely play them against the Spurs, which will likely compromise their backline.
Tottenham youngster making a good first impression
Tottenham won their first preseason match against Reading last weekend, as youngsters Will Lankshear and Luka Vuskovic found the back of the net early in the second half after the starting XI had gone scoreless.
Vuskovic has been the talk of the town in North London for his Man of the Match-worthy performance with his goal and assist for the Spurs. The 18-year-old centre-back is expected to go out on loan this upcoming season, but with a performance like that, Thomas Frank and co. might change their minds, especially if he creates new Club Friendly 2025 highlights against Luton Town.
Mohammed Kudus warms up ahead of the Premier League football match at the London Stadium
Summer signing Mohammed Kudus had an encouraging cameo for Tottenham against Reading, and he might be featured in the starting XI against Luton Town. Kudus was signed from West Ham United, as it was rumoured that Tottenham are open to selling Richarlison, who has yet to play for them this preseason. Meanwhile, Tottenham has yet to sort out their transfer saga involving Morgan Gibbs-White and Nottingham Forest.
History
Saturday marks the 83rd matchup between Luton Town and Tottenham, and the latter has the edge in the overall head-to-heads. The Spurs have 35 wins, whereas the Hatters have accumulated 22 wins and 25 draws. Their first-ever matchup was a 2-2 draw in December 1894 during the FA Cup. In their previous two Premier League encounters in 2023-24, Spurs completed a league double over the Hatters via an aggregate tally of 3-1.
Luton Town secured their promotion to the Premier League for the first time since 1992 when they beat Coventry City in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium, winning 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation. However, their English top-flight run didn’t last long, as the Hatters finished 18th in the English top-flight table, resulting in relegation back to the Championship.
The Hatters suffered their second consecutive relegation after finishing 22nd in the Championship standings last season, and they will aim to redeem themselves in the upcoming 2025-26 campaign in League One.
On the other hand, Tottenham are fresh from one of their worst Premier League finishes in recent memory, when they ended up 17th in the table with only 38 points last season. Despite this, the Spurs secured their spot in the Champions League after defeating Manchester United in the Europa League final for their first trophy since the 2008 EFL Cup. However, that wasn’t enough for then-head coach Ange Postecoglou to keep his job.
Club Friendly: When Eagles Meet Villans in Kentucky
Eintracht Frankfurt vs Aston Villa
Pre-season is in full flow, folks, and following the completion of the Club World Cup, the best teams in Europe’s top leagues are comparing their progress in face-offs with their peers. The Club Friendly tiff between Eintracht Frankfurt and Aston Villa is a fascinating clash to take a look at.
Dino Toppmoller’s Eagles finished third in the Bundesliga last term and will take their place in the 2025/26 Champions League, while Unai Emery’s Villans finished sixth in the Premier League and will settle for a spot in the Europa League. That is a bitter pill for the Midlanders to swallow after they performed so well in Europe’s elite competition last term and missed out after a highly controversial loss to Manchester United on the final day of the season.
Eintracht and Villa will get it on at the Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, at 7pm local time on Saturday (midnight in the UK), so let’s take a look at where the two clubs are right now and the pre-match Club Friendly 2025 odds.
Frankfurt prepare for life after Ekitike and Marmoush
After a third-place finish last term, the Eagles will hope to compete among the elite again this season. But the latest betting odds at SBOTOP say Toppmoller’s team will find it difficult to break through the big four of Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig. And following the departure of striker Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool, it is entirely reasonable to come to that conclusion, particularly following the transfer of Omar Marmoush to Manchester City just six months earlier.
Ekitike and Marmoush scored the goals that propelled the Eagles into the top four, with the French striker taking up the mantle with 15 after Marmoush had bagged 15 before he left in January. To lose your two matchwinners in the same calendar year is quite a blow, though the Eagles have already made some preparation with the signing of Mainz striker Jonathan Burkardt for €21 million, a fraction of the fees received for Ekitike and Marmoush.
The 24-year-old certainly deserves his chance in the Champions League after he scored 18 goals in 29 league games last season to make him the top-scoring German player, with only Harry Kane, Serhou Guirassy, and Patrik Schick scoring more. A Mainz youth product, Burkardt has moved on after 11 years at the club, and the Eagles may just have found their new hero.
Villa fans will recognise ex-Premier League stars Michy Batshuayi and Robin Koch, while the player to keep an eye on is Mario Gotze. The 33-year-old is still a class act, with nine goals in 86 games for the Eagles and 17 in 66 full internationals, and will be a fine mentor for Burkardt.
A big three weeks ahead for Villa
Ollie Watkins may not play in Villa’s Club Friendly clash against Eintracht Frankfurt
Emery’s Villa are yet to make waves in the transfer market, and that will be more difficult without Champions League football to offer the best players who are looking for a move. They’ve had negative Club Friendly 2025 results thus far, losing to League Two neighbours Walsall and third-tier German team Hansa. Now they face one of the Bundesliga’s finest, and Emery will be looking for progress with just three weeks to go before they play their Premier League opener.
Villa will be competing with the likes of their first opponents, Newcastle United, for a place in the leading group again this term, and it was the Magpies who benefited from the final day controversies to finish fifth and grab that last available Champions League place.
Emery is yet to make a big signing this summer and has some work to do to keep his more saleable assets at the club. Young forward Zepiqueno Redmond and backup keeper Marco Bizot have arrived at Villa Park, and there have been no major outgoings so far, though big-spending Chelsea have been circling, with an eye on Morgan Rogers.
You’d think the Blues have their fill of attacking midfielders, but the Londoners’ appetite for new players is insatiable, and Villa fans will be pleased to hear that Chelsea have turned their attention to RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons in their attempt to sweep up the available talent.
Emery will target a fast start to the new campaign, with Premier League results significantly better than his pre-season so far. As well as bringing new blood in, the manager will be looking to the likes of Rogers, star striker Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen, and Matty Cash to reach their peak within the next 20 days, ready for the season ahead.
He will get a good idea of where his squad is on Saturday night, and that goes for Toppmoller too.
Club Friendly: This is a Big Year for Amorin and Potter
Manchester United vs West Ham United
Manchester United and West Ham United are set to meet in the 2025 Premier League Summer Series on Saturday night at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Club Friendly: Manchester United vs West Ham United is the first bout in a four way contest, with Everton and Bournemouth making up the quartet. This is not the sort of company Red Devils fans are used to keeping, those out of their teenage years that is. Until recently Manchester United’s peers were the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal… but last season was somewhat different.
Bournemouth were the highest finishers of this foursome in the 2024/25 Premier League at ninth, while Everton, West Ham United and Manchester United ended up 13th 14th and 15th. That the Red Devils were the lowest ranked of these four teams shows just how big a job Ruben Amorin has in his first full campaign as Manchester United boss and you can say the same for Graham Potter at West Ham. The former Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea manager arrived in January following the departure of Julen Lopetegui, but he failed to lift the Hammers above the 14th place they were in when he arrived.
The next six months are absolutely crucial to both managers; Amorin is under pressure to make a fast start and pick up some positive Premier League results from the off, while Potter is expected by his club’s owners and fans to bring attractive and successful football to the London Stadium… but I fear the Hammers may struggle.
Both need to get it right during pre-season and they have three more weeks to do just that. The Red Devils have had one outing, drawing 0-0 with Leeds United, while West Ham beat Swiss team, Grasshoppers, 3-1.
A first outing for Mbeumo?
Manchester United fans are understandable nervous after a dreadful campaign last term, which started badly and just seemed to stumble from one disappointment to the next, culminating in a Europa Final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. But, despite the Premier League 2025 betting odds saying United will find it very difficult to break into the top four, now is the time for the loyal Red Devils to look forward; and there is some cause for guarded optimism, following the arrival of forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Bryan Mbeumo has moved from Brentford to Manchester United in a blockbuster transfer
Manchester United’s goal output was pitiful last term as skipper Bruno Fernandes jointly top scored with winger Amad Diallo on eight league goals, while strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee had four and three respectively. Meanwhile Mbeumo scored 20 goals for Brentford while Cunha bagged 15 for Wolverhampton Wanderers and, if they can get 35 between them next term, the Red Devils should certainly be a top six contender, and the SBOTOP odds say that is well within Amorin’s reach.
Cunha made his debut in the goalless draw with Leeds and I expect Mbemo to appear in the USA.
Challenging for the Premier League title is currently a pipe dream at Old Trafford; Liverpool will be hard to beat, Manchester City and Chelsea will be very strong and Arsenal have recruited well and have greater depth in their squad. The Old Trafford faithful want to be in that company…but for now they’ll settle for West Ham.
Hammers need more firepower
While Manchester United have been tooling up in the goal scoring department, West Ham find themselves a little short of goal scorers and, if they are to challenge in the Premier League next term they need a 15 goal man at least. For too long the Hammers have relied on the goals of captain and winger Jarrod Bowen and, following the departure of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham and the release of Danny Ings, they are left with just one senior striker in their group to face the Red Devils, and that is 32 year old Germany international Niclas Fullkrug who spent much of last season injured. 20 year old Academy prospect Callum Marshall scored against Grasshoppers and he has travelled to the States. He scored nine goals on loan with Huddersfield Town in League One last term and, while he has plenty of promise, Marshall is not yet the answer Potter needs.
Elsewhere in the squad, midfield ace Edson Alvarez will join his team-mates after helping Mexico win the CONCACAF Gold Cup. And two new wingbacks could be on show against the Red Devils. Senegalese star El Hadj Diouf looked lively in his first appearance, against the Grasshoppers, while Kyle Walker Peters could make his Hammers debut after completing his move from Southampton.
Club Friendly: Portugal Welcomes Back Favourite Sons
Nottingham Forest vs Fulham
Two of Portugal’s finest Premier League managers will meet in a Club Friendly this weekend and, fittingly, it will be in their homeland. The Portuguese city of Faro is ready for Club Friendly 2025 highlights as Fulham and Nottingham Forest step up their preparations for next season.
The work of Marco Silva and Nuno Espirito Santo has mightily impressed this SBOTOP observer in recent years, and they are, once again, quietly going about their business this summer, not to mention trying frantically to keep hold of their top talents.
Talking Points
Fulham, the only top-flight side who have not made a signing yet this summer, have enjoyed their pre-season outings to date.
First, they put four past the Scottish Cup winners Aberdeen with Harry Wilson bagging a brace, then Emile Smith Rowe grabbed the only goal in a 1-0 triumph over West Brom on Tuesday.
Silva has refused to be drawn on rumours linking Reiss Nelson with a move back to Fulham this summer. The Arsenal winger spent last season on loan at the Cottagers, making 13 appearances in all competitions before suffering a hamstring injury in December that ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.
And while he is part of the Gunners’ pre-season squad, even impressing off the bench against AC Milan in midweek, don’t be surprised if he returns to West London now he is back to full fitness.
Forest’s on-field activity has not set the world alight either, and the team has played out two goalless friendly draws so far, against League Two side Chesterfield and French club Monaco respectively.
More importantly, they have managed to fend off Spurs’ advances for Morgan Gibbs-White, with the playmaker now in Portugal with his teammates and expected to be involved again this weekend after playing the first half of the stalemate with Monaco. This certainly provides a big boost in their Club Friendly 2025 odds.
Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White leaps over Manchester United’s Noussair Mazraoui during a Premier League match
Although Forest had a somewhat anti-climatic ending to last term, it should be remembered that Forest finished 17th the previous season, the place immediately above the drop zone.
Few, if any, could have envisaged what has followed in “Robin Hood” country. Certainly, no one expected them to be in the running for Europe. They tailed off towards the end and a failure to beat Everton, Brentford, and relegated Leicester at home meant they came up just short, but to still be in contention for a Champions League place going into the final day of last season spoke volumes. Ultimately, Santo took a team from 17th to seventh, within a point of qualifying for UEFA’s premier competition.
And what memories they had along the way. They inflicted the first defeat of Arne Slot’s Liverpool reign, more impressively doing it at Anfield. After that first win at Liverpool since 1969, a first win at Manchester United since 1994 and a first league victory over Manchester City in 28 years duly followed.
Everyone loves Nuno at Forest, where he has built something very special, making people forget about the chaos that came before him. One of his great skills is to get his players to work for one another and he gets the best out of the individual and collective.
Though they ran out of steam, the potent counterattack of Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga (now at Newcastle), Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Gibbs-White was one of the best in the league.
Faro football fans will be delighted to see such talent in action and for two of their country’s most respected managers in the dugout once again. A warm welcome awaits both men.
History
Fulham have won seven of their last eight meetings with Nottingham Forest.
It was a 5-0 thrashing of them 19 months ago, which prompted the sacking of Steve Cooper as Alex Iwobi and Raul Jimenez both netted twice, and Tom Cairney added the other.
Fulham enjoyed a league double over Forest last term, which badly damaged their, albeit unlikely, Champions League bid.
A Jimenez penalty was the only goal at the City Ground last September, and that was followed up in west London by a 2-1 home win when Smith Rowe and Callum Bassey were the goal-getters with Wood replying for Forest.
Until a few seasons ago, they had not met in the top division since a 2-2 draw at the City Ground in April 1968 in League Division One.
The scorers that day were Barry Lyons and Ian Storey-Moore for Forest and Les Barrett and Allan Clarke for Fulham.
Fulham have won 10 of their last 13 clashes. Overall, Fulham have beaten Forest 47 times compared to 33 successes for the Midlanders and 28 draws.
Their inaugural match-up came in a second-round FA Cup tie in 1905, which Fulham won by a solitary goal at Craven Cottage.
Club Friendly: Absent Friends on the Mind in Singapore
Arsenal vs Newcastle United
Now let’s not pretend this is a high-octane Premier League encounter.
Without trying to dampen the enthusiasm of any SBOTOP fans who are hugely excited about the club friendly meeting at the National Stadium in Singapore, it is realistically going to provide us with very few, if any, clues into what will happen when the real action gets underway in three weeks’ time.
Yet friendly highlights may still be forthcoming as Arsenal and Newcastle fine-tune and ensure players’ fitness continues to improve ahead of the big kick-off.
Talking Points
As it stands, all the focus is on one player who is not even in Singapore.
The news that Newcastle’s star frontman Alexander Isak is open to a move away from Tyneside after three successful seasons in the North East will come as a blow to the Toon Army faithful.
This is a player who netted 27 times in 42 appearances in all competitions for the club last season yet, the official line from the club for his absence from the 30-man squad for the pre-season tour of Asia, is that the Swedish striker is missing out with a minor thigh injury.
The reality is that Isak appears to have been unsettled by interest from elsewhere and the fact it seems a number of Europe’s top clubs are aware the frontman is now looking to take the next step in his career.
At the same time, many of them will realise Isak can not be prized away from Newcastle United for anything less than a king’s ransom.
Of course, the club does not need to sell him, would be mad to sell a player who was as good as any forward in English football last term and will be needed as his team prepares to juggle Premier League and Champions League exertions (for the second time in three years) next season.
One of his admirers is Newcastle’s opponents this weekend who, presumably, would love to bring him to London.
With Isak out of reach though, Arsenal have set their focus on another scoring sensation, this time one from Portugal.
Newcastle’s Alexander Isak has been excluded from the squad facing Arsenal in the Singapore friendly
Viktor Gyokeres has been a sensation at Sporting Lisbon, scoring 97 goals in 102 appearances. Having signed for £20.5 million from Coventry just two years ago, the 27 year-old helped Sporting to the league title in each of his seasons with them – plus the Portuguese Cup in the last one.
He is the latest pending arrival in a spending spree for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and his sporting director, Andrea Berta, who have already overseen the arrivals of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (from Chelsea), Martín Zubimendi– the Spanish midfielder who turned down Liverpool last term – from Real Sociedad, Christian Nørgaard (the former the Brentford captain) and Noni Madueke (also from Chelsea) for a combined £118.5 million.
Then there’s Cristhian Mosquera who has travelled to Singapore to link up with the squad on their pre-season tour. The 21-year-old, who represented Spain at this summer’s European Under-21 Championship, has signed a five-year contract with the option of a further year.
All in all, it should mean Arsenal are better protected from a repeat of the injuries that firstly damaged their credentials last autumn and then ended any chance of a recovery in late January/early February.
With no Isak or Gyokeres in Singapore, many thoughts will be on absent friends this weekend and, make no mistake, the result of the game does not matter.
However, given it’s a contest between two big money Premier League clubs with sky-high ambitions for the upcoming season, it still should be compelling fare.
History
What a rich history these two clubs have, dating back to their first ever meeting in 1893.
Traditionally, Arsenal have the edge with 86 wins to the Toon’s 72 and a further 39 draws.
However, in recent years it has been one-sided as Arsenal have actually won 21 of their last 26 meetings.
That was until last term.
They lost out 1-0 in the North East in early November when the in-demand Isak scored the only goal of the contest just 12 minutes in.
And, of course, they were 4-0 winners in their two-legged League Cup semi-final.
Isak and Anthony Gordon were on target in North London before Jacob Murphy and Gordon again scored the goals in the second leg.
Newcastle have only scored in six of their past 15 meetings with the Gunners. In the league fixture on the penultimate weekend of last season, Declan Rice notched the only goal of the contest to seal their place in next season’s Champions League.
Club Friendly: The North London Derby in Hong Kong
Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur
It’s one of the Premier League’s most watched fixtures, and the Club Friendly between Arsenal and Tottenham gets an early airing this year over at the brand new Kai Tak Stadium.
The 50,000 seater all-purpose arena is a superb setting for the North London Derby, and it will be packed with local fans and keen travellers to see some of the English top-flight’s best players, and there may be a new face or two on show.
Both teams are in training out there right now, and fans will be able to see some open sessions. Then, the London rivals will get it on in Hong Kong on Thursday.
Gyokores is a Gunner
Mikel Arteta has been busy in the market this summer, bringing in midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad and forward Noni Madueke from Chelsea for £52 million. But the one the Gunners fans have really been getting excited about is the long-awaited arrival of a prolific goal scorer. Arsenal have their striker in Viktor Gyokores, and he was the star of the show at their clash with Newcastle United last week, even though he wasn’t in the squad.
He completed his £64 million move from Sporting Lisbon and was unveiled before the fans just 24 hours later in the Far East, and the fantastic reception he received showed just what the striker’s arrival means to the fans, with plenty of Sweden national flags in the crowd.
Newly-signed Arsenal forward Viktor Gyokeres greets fans during their club friendly with Newcastle United
After scoring a goal a game in Portugal, he’ll wear the Number 14 shirt made famous by Thierry Henry, Arsenal’s all-time top scorer with 228 goals in all competitions. If the 27-year-old Gyokores can score half that number, he will pay back his transfer fee handsomely.
The Club Friendly 2025 betting odds like Arteta’s movements in the market have installed them as second favourites for the 2026 title, and they have had a successful pre-season, winning both their games so far.
The Gunners came out on the right side of an entertaining five-goal workout against Newcastle after falling behind to an early Anthony Elanga goal. Mikel Merino, for part of last season a makeshift striker, showed what a good finisher he is when he levelled, and then Kai Havertz forced an own goal with a fierce cross to give Arsenal the lead. Jacob Murphy levelled for the Magpies ,but Martin Odegaard won the game with a penalty, earned by 15-year-old Max Dowman.
Bukayo Saka’s second-half goal gave Arsenal a 1-0 win in their opener against AC Milan. If he can stay fit this term, the SBOTOP odds will continue to back the Gunners. It’s all about Premier League results, but for the time being, a tasty meeting with their closest rivals awaits.
Tottenham miss out on Gibbs-White
Spurs manager Thomas Frank has also been busy in the transfer market since his arrival from Brentford, bringing in Austrian defender Kevin Danso from RC Lens, making forward Mathys Tel’s move from Bayern Munich permanent, and, in an eye-catching move, signing winger Mohammed Kudus in a £55 million transfer from West Ham United.
But he received a disappointing piece of news on the eve of the club’s departure for Hong Kong. After missing out on bringing his former Bees forward Bryan Mbeumo to North London, Frank turned his attention to an attacking midfielder in the shape of Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White. The 25-year-old has improved year on year since his big money switch from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2022, and last week, it looked like he was on the way to Tottenham at a fee of £60 million.
But Gibbs-White has just signed a three-year extension to his Forest contract, and that seems to have ended Spurs’ chances; and with James Maddison not yet in full fitness Frank is looking to strengthen in that area.
Tottenham’s pre-season is just getting underway, and Frank fielded two teams on Saturday as his players took on League One opposition from Luton Town and Wycombe Wanderers. Both teams had underwhelming Club Friendly 2025 results, drawing 0-0 by the Hatters and 2-2 against Wolves, but the manager was able to give all of his available players a run before their trio to Hong Kong. Heung-Min Son, Pedro Porro, and Cristian Romero were all on show against Wycombe, while Pape Matar Sarr scored both goals for Tottenham.
Next up for Spurs is Arsenal. And, while this is a pre-season friendly, when all is said and done, it still matters. Tottenham are in the Champions League after winning the Europa League last season and, in just over two weeks, they kick off the new league campaign at home to Burnley.
But a North London Derby is always high stakes, even when it’s in Hong Kong.
Club Friendly: The North London Derby in Hong Kong
RB Leipzig vs Atalanta
RB Leipzig and Atalanta meet on Saturday in a tasty Club Friendly at the home of the Bundesliga big shots, and there will be two new faces in the dugouts at the Red Bull Arena.
The Germans have appointed 37-year-old technician Ole Werner to revive their fortunes as a replacement for the departed Marco Rose, while a new era is beginning in Bergamo following the departure of the legendary Gian Piero Gasperini, with former Southampton boss Ivan Juric taking the reins at Atalanta.
Werner began his senior coaching career at the age of 28 when he managed Holstein Kiel for two games as interim boss before returning to second-team duties, and he became the Kiel manager full-time in 2019, signing a three-year deal. But he left in 2021, and Werner took over at Werder Bremen, where he took from 10th place in Bundesliga 2 to promotion at the first attempt and stayed at the Weserstadion until this year when Red Bull came calling.
Juric is a more experienced manager and 12 years Werner’s senior. The former Croatian international knows the Italian top-flight inside out, having managed Genoa, Hellas Verona, Torino, and Roma with a brief, unsuccessful stint in the Premier League with the Saints.
A big year for RB Leipzig
With a seventh-place finish last term, Leipzig missed out on European football for the first time since they joined the Bundesliga elite back in 2016. That was quite a blow to the club’s hierarchy, who expect Champions League football at least, but it does give new man Werner a big chance to put in a strong performance in the domestic league and the DFB-Pokal. The Club Friendly 2025 betting odds say Red Bull will be back in the top four again next term, but they may have to do that without a couple of their stars.
22-year-old Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko is one of the most sought-after properties in world football following an impressive season in the Bundesliga, scoring 13 goals in 34 league games to make it 27 goals in two seasons in Leipzig. These aren’t prolific figures, but for such a young striker, they are certainly promising. A 6’5”, Sesko is a real unit and a formidable target man, but he is also good with both feet, and Red Bull have slapped a €80 million price tag on his head.
Benjamin Sesko playing for RB Leipzig against Borussia Dortmund
Premier League giants Newcastle United have been following the player as a potential replacement for their Swedish striker Alexander Isak, who is being courted by Liverpool. And another Premier League big spender is circling, with Chelsea keen to take Netherlands forward Xavi Simons from Leipzig to London.
Meanwhile, Leipzig have continued their policy of bringing in young talent to develop. The club has spent a combined €60 million on defencive midfielder Arthur Vermeeren from Atletico Madrid and two young wingers, Yan Diomande from Leganes and Johan Bakayoko from PSV Eindhoven.
Nine years with one manager is a rarity these days in the high-pressure, success-now demands of top-flight football. However, Gian Piero Gasperini was pretty much fireproof during his time at Atalanta. He transformed La Dea into one of the most attacking and successful sides in the Italian top-flight with many forays into Europe. He signed off with a third-place finish, and now Gasperini has headed off to rivals AS Roma.
New man Juric has had a chance to learn from his predecessor, playing under Gasperini at Crotone and Genoa, and he was part of his inner coaching circle at Inter Milan, as well as being his assistant at Palermo. But Juric hasn’t had his success in terms of silverware as yet, and comes into this job on the back of a poor campaign in Southampton.
As our recent SBOTOP article said, La Dea is in a period of upheaval, and the loss of 2025 Capocannoniere winner Mateo Retegui has been a huge blow. The Italian goal machine has joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah for a fee of $76 million, making him the most expensive Italian player. He was only in Bergamo for one campaign, scoring 25 goals, and Retegui will be difficult to replace.
Atalanta will be keen to see their remaining best players stay if possible, though there is speculation surrounding Ademola Lookman in the Club Friendly 2025 news, with Inter Milan trying to get a deal for the former Fulham man.
Meanwhile, defender Odilon Kossounou has arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for €20 million, and Serbian midfielder Lazar Samardzic has been signed from Udinese for €15 million.
Like Werner, Juric is under pressure to make a fast start to the new campaign. But of the two managers, I think the Croat has the bigger challenge.
Club Friendly: Bayern’s Pre-Season Starts with Lyon
Bayern Munich vs Lyon
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich begin their pre-season schedule on Saturday when they play host to Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
The Bavarians will follow up this clash with games against Tottenham Hotspur and Grasshoppers of Switzerland, before taking on VfB Stuttgart in the Frank Beckenbauer Cup on August 16th. This weekend they face a side with a rich history in the French top flight but a chaotic last 12 months, while the home fans might see a new face in the squad, or certainly in the stands.
The domestic leagues are coming into view and while the two managers, Vincent Kompany and Paulo Fonseca, have a chance to run the rule over their squads, this is a club friendly with plenty of intrigue.
Diaz could feature for Bayern
We’ve been following this story here at SBOTOP for weeks and it seems Bayern’s pursuit of Luis Diaz has reached a conclusion, with the Liverpool star heading from Tokyo to Munich to complete a medical on Tuesday. The English champions have agreed to sell the Colombian winger for a fee of £65.5m, a profit of £15m on the total fee paid by the Merseysiders to bring Diaz from Porto to Liverpool in 2022. With two years left on his contract the player has made no secret of his desire to move on, and the club declined to engage in contract talks, preferring to cash in while they can; and in summer signing Florian Wirtz the Reds have strengthened their creative group already, and they have other irons in the fire.
Liverpool’s Luis Diaz is being linked to Bayern Munich
And reports in Germany suggest that Bayern are hopeful of getting the deal through quickly, even with the possibility of Diaz playing some part in the upcoming friendlies, starting with the match-up against Lyon on Saturday. Fans will hope to see him as soon as possible after previous recruits from the Premier League, Harry Kane and Michael Olise, have fared so well in the Bundesliga.
Bayern’s rivals have been busy in the market this summer but the Bavarians have been relatively quiet, bringing in defender Jonathan Tah as their major recruit, but now things seem to be heating up and Diaz is ready to be introduced.
Lyon looking for stability
Olympique Lyonnais were totally dominant in Ligue 1 not so long ago, winning seven top flight titles between 2001 and 2008; but these halcyon days seem a dim and distant memory after a whirlwind of catastrophe hit the club last year. After recovering under Fonseca to finish sixth in the league table the club suffered an administrative relegation to Ligue 2 as a punishment for racking up unsustainable debts. But, in the biggest Ligue 1 news story of the close season, they successfully appealed to be reinstated into the top flight, with the club’s case put by new general director Michele Kang.
Now Lyon, under the guidance of Kang, a major shareholder and owner of the successful Lyon women’s team, is working hard to balance the books, already selling midfielder Jordan Veretout to Al Arabi, and keeper Lucas Perri to Leeds United, and also looking to get big earners Nemanja Matic and skipper Corentin Tolisso off the books.
Lyon are keen to keep hold of their talented 20 year old winger Malick Fofana. The Belgium international has scored eight goals in 46 games since his arrival from Gent in 2024 for a fee of 17m Euros. Admittedly the club could make a tidy profit on him now and Bayern Munich had an approach ready to go, if the Diaz deal fell through, so Fofana may be a Lyon player for another season at least.
American Kang doesn’t want a fire sale, but she is determined to bring discipline to off field matters and the club will continue to invest in players, but with a keen eye on the bottom line. Brest attacking midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou is close to agreeing a deal to join Lyon. The 32 year old has been a target for Stade Rennais too, but he prefers a move to Lyon and he will be a canny signing.
This is a proud club which has fallen into disarray, but there was much to be impressed by on the field in the second half of last season. As well as climbing up to sixth place Lyon were unlucky not to reach the Europa League semi-final, hit by a remarkable Manchester United comeback and, in Fonseca, they have a manager who can help them challenge again.
But Lyon fans will need plenty of patience. As for Bayern, the Bundesliga 2025 betting odds say they will retain their title; but it will be interesting to see how they measure up to the French on Saturday.
Club Friendly: Villarreal Could Provide Leeds a Tricky Test
Leeds United vs Villarreal
Leeds United will return to Elland Road this Saturday to host La Liga side Villarreal in their next Club Friendly, as they continue to prepare for the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
Daniel Farke’s side has had a promising preseason so far, as the Whites come into this match undefeated. Leeds United held Manchester United to a goalless draw nearly two weeks ago at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, and they will aim to maintain their momentum. Previously, the Whites had won 4-1 against SC Verl and 3-2 against Paderborn.
On the other hand, Villarreal are winless so far this preseason. After back-to-back draws against Basel (3-3) and St. Gallen (2-2), the Yellow Submarine suffered a 1-0 loss against Sporting last weekend, and Marcelino Garcia Toral’s men are aching for a victory.
This may only be an exhibition game, but SBOTOP football fans can expect a highly contested game filled with Club Friendly 2025 highlights, according to the latest Club Friendly 2025 odds.
Talking Points
Leeds United continue to stack up
Leeds United have been busy reinforcing their squad ahead of their anticipated return to the Premier League, and head coach Daniel Farke plans to integrate his newest signings as soon as possible. Since their club friendly against Manchester United, the Whites added two more players in Anton Stach and Lucas Perri.
Stach has been one of the standout players for Hoffenheim, scoring four goals and six assists in 71 appearances since joining the Bundesliga club in 2023. Leeds United reportedly paid £17.4 million for him, and the 26-year-old playmaker would surely beef up the team’s midfield depth, especially after the team just added Sean Longstaff from Newcastle United a few weeks before.
The Whites have also added Lucas Perri to their ranks, making him their seventh signing this summer transfer window. The 27-year-old Brazilian international has joined from Lyon in a transfer worth £15.6 million.
Perri played 45 games across all competitions for Lyon last campaign, keeping 13 clean sheets, as the Ligue 1 side secured a European football berth by finishing sixth in the French top-flight. The 6’5″ shot stopper is a massive presence between the sticks, and he is poised to take over as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper over Ilian Meslier and Karl Darlow.
Stach and Perri could make their first cameos for Leeds United against Villarreal. But, in other team news, the Whites will miss the services of fellow new signing Sebastiaan Bornauw, as the centre-back is dealing with a quadriceps injury.
Villarreal might feature latest permanent signing
Canada’s Tajon Buchanan celebrates after scoring against El Salvador in the Gold Cup 2025
Villarreal have been active sellers this summer, as they cashed in on Thierno Barry and Alex Baena for a reported combined fee of €72 million, which should help fund the team’s rebuild. In return, they just signed Tajon Buchanan to a permanent deal, paying only €9 million to Inter Milan.
The 26-year-old Canadian international joined Villarreal on loan last February after not getting enough opportunities with the Nerazzurri. He hasn’t done much at the Yellow Submarine, but the club made Buchanan’s move permanent because he left a good impression, and because of the team’s notable outgoings this summer.
The permanent move opens an opportunity for Buchanan to make a name for himself ahead of next year’s World Cup. He has already made 13 appearances for Villarreal, scoring one goal and adding two assists.
History
Saturday marks only the second competitive meeting between Leeds United and Villarreal. These two teams last met in a club friendly in August 2021, as the Whites prepared for their second straight Premier League campaign. Leeds United had Marcelo Bielsa as their manager, and Villarreal had Unai Emery on the other side.
The two teams shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw. Gerard Moreno gave the Yellow Submarine the one-goal lead after scoring the first goal of the contest in the first minute, but the Whites reclaimed the lead through goals from Mateusz Klich and Patrick Bamford before halftime. Dani Raba restored order for Villarreal by scoring the equaliser in the 80th minute.
Club Friendly: Xhaka Could Make His Sunderland Bow Against Betis
Sunderland vs Real Betis
Sunderland are dead serious about their return to the Premier League next season, as they’ve been busy in the summer transfer window. After they sold Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund for roughly €30.5 million last month, the Black Cats spent money and acquired a handful of players – seven to be exact.
One of them is their newest signing, Granit Xhaka, for only a reported fee of €15 million. The 32-year-old midfielder had been with Bayer Leverkusen since 2023 and was a key figure in their Bundesliga triumph last year. Xhaka brings a wealth of experience to Sunderland, who are looking to make noise in the English top-flight next season. The Swiss international could make his Black Cats debut this Saturday when Regis Le Bris’ side hosts Real Betis in a Club Friendly at the Stadium of Light.
Speaking of Real Betis, Manuel Pellegrini’s men are fresh from a 1-1 draw against Coventry City last night, and they are also preparing for the tough grind of the new campaign.
Here’s the preview of this exhibition game, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Talking Points
Is Xhaka the difference maker Sunderland need?
Granit Xhaka is back in the Premier League after a two-year odyssey, and he may be the spark that Sunderland need this preseason and the upcoming 2025-26 campaign. When he left Arsenal to join Bayer Leverkusen in 2023, the Swiss midfielder blossomed into a leader, and he’ll aim to do the same at the Stadium of Light.
During his introductory press conference, Xhaka said “he felt the energy and mentality” of Sunderland. He brings much-needed toughness and grit for the Black Cats with his steady play. During his time with Die Werkself, Xhaka generated 228 open-play shot-ending sequences and never committed a single error leading to an opposition goal. Last season, he completed 2,500 of his 2,753 passes in the Bundesliga, boasting a 90.7-per cent success rate, with only Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich (3,183-for-3,425) having completed more. Most importantly, Xhaka rarely missed matches.
Besides Xhaka, Sunderland fans should also be excited about fellow new signings Simon Adingra and Chemsdine Talbi. The winger duo combined for a brilliant goal against Hull City, as Adingra finished a well-placed pass from Talbi during the 11th minute.
Real Betis youngster leaves a lasting impression
Real Betis manager Manuel Pellegrini shouts instructions to players during the La Liga match against Villarreal at the Benito Villamarin
Real Betis should’ve lost to Coventry City, but youngster Pablo Garcia had other plans. The 18-year-old winger fired a left-footed thunderbolt past the hands of goalkeeper Carl Rushworth in the opening minute of the second half. However, Los Verdiblancos couldn’t break through, as Rushworth rebuffed them with his timely saves. With his wonderful goal, Garcia hopes that it’ll help him get more playing time next season, especially after he made his senior debut as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Mallorca last January.
Meanwhile, summer signings Rodrigo Riquelme and Pau Lopez need to work on their chemistry, as the former’s awful back pass to the latter led to a tap-in goal by Jack Rudoni. If that goal hadn’t happened in the first half, Real Betis would’ve won the match. Valentin Gomez and Junior Firpo also made their Los Verdiblancos debuts, and there could be more minutes for them against the Black Cats.
History
Saturday marks the first-ever competitive meeting between Sunderland and Real Betis. The pregame Club Friendly 2025 odds back Los Verdiblancos to beat the Black Cats, and the fans at the Stadium of Light should get their fair share of Club Friendly 2025 highlights.
In terms of recent form, Real Betis have the edge. After losing their first preseason match against UD Leiria (1-0), Manuel Pellegrini’s men went undefeated in their subsequent three matches against Farense (2-0), Cordoba (4-3), and Coventry City (1-1). On the other hand, Sunderland went unbeaten in their first three against Gateshead (2-2), South Shields (4-0), and Sevilla (1-1) before dropping their next three against Sporting (1-0), Hearts (3-0), and Hull City (2-1).
Sunderland are back in the Premier League after an eight-year absence after winning the play-off final against Sheffield United (2-1) last May, despite finishing fourth place in the Championship table. The last time they were relegated from the Premier League, the Black Cats suffered back-to-back relegations, and their lowest finish was eighth in the League One table during the 2019-20 campaign.
Meanwhile, Real Betis finished sixth in the La Liga standings last term, good for a Europa League spot. Los Verdiblancos came close to winning their first-ever major European trophy when they advanced to the 2024-25 Europa Conference League final but lost to Chelsea 4-1.
Club Friendly: Stoke and Burnley Have Plenty in Common
Stoke City vs Burnley
Scott Parker’s Burnley continue their pre-season preparation with a trip to the Potteries on Saturday to take on Championship side Stoke City in an intriguing Club Friendly.
There is a lot of synergy between these two clubs. Both Stoke and Burnley have a rich history and then fell on difficult times around the period the Premier League was founded in 1992. The 21st century has been kinder to the two clubs, in communities both steeped in working-class culture and with a passionate fan base. Stoke were promoted to the Premier League in 2008 and stayed there until 2018, and became known as a tough band of brothers, which gave rise to the question. “Can you go to Stoke on a wet Tuesday night and still perform?”
The answer from the elite among the top-flight was not always certain. Then, when Burnley were promoted to the top-flight in 2014 and spent eight of the next 10 seasons in the Premier League, the same applied to the East Lancashire town. Players and managers alike will tell you how Turf Moor was one of the toughest places to go, especially on a wet Tuesday night.
Well, Burnley are back in the Premier League, while Stoke are hoping manager Mark Robins can transform his squad from an 18th-place finish to become challengers in 2025/26. But firstly, Stoke face the team which won 2-0 at home as the Clarets marched to promotion last seaso.
Robins aims to revive Stoke
Stoke have a tasty Midlands clash with Derby County to start their campaign on Saturday, 9th August, and they will hope to put last season’s dismal showing behind them. While Burnley have yo-yoed over the past three campaigns following the end of their stint in the Premier League, the Potters have finished between 14th and 18th since they were relegated in 2018.
Former Coventry City boss Mark Robins gestures from the sideline during their FA Cup match against Manchester United in 2024
Mark Robins managed Coventry City for seven campaigns, winning promotion back to the second tier and then taking the Sky Blues into the Championship play-offs and almost reaching the FA Cup final in 2024, denied by a VAR offside call and then losing to Manchester United on penalties. But, in this mad world of hire and fire, Coventry ditched their best manager for some time after a slow start to the 2024-25 season, and Stoke City snapped him up.
With a full pre-season to work with, Robins has a chance to improve Stoke, and they have had a good pre-season, drawing with Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 last weekend as Bae Jun-Ho gave the Potters a lead before Hwang Hee-Chan levelled for the Premier League side.
The experienced pair of centre-back Ben Gibson and forward Sam Gallagher are set to return in time for the visit of Burnley, while new signings Aaron Cresswell and Sorba Thomas are both in contention.
More dealing for Parker to do
Burnley swept back into the big time with five wins in their last five games to take them past 100 points, making them the first team to reach that mark in two campaigns in the same division (hitting 101 points in 2023) and the first team to reach 100 without winning the league. But Parker, who has previously led Bournemouth and Fulham to the promised land, knows that dominating the second tier and surviving in the top league are two entirely different challenges.
Along with Leeds United and Sunderland, Burnley will struggle next season, according to the Club Friendly 2025 betting odds, but all three have recruited well and are ready to give it a good shot. But with a month of dealing still to be done, the Clarets are busy behind the scenes. They have made six signings already, including Manchester City legend Kyle Walker, exciting French forward Loum Tchaouna, and Dutch international wing-back Quilindschy Hartman, and they have made four of last season’s loans permanent.
In terms of outgoings, the Clarets’ record-breaking defence has been broken up with centre-back CJ Egan-Riley transferring to Marseille, and keeper James Trafford has returned to Manchester City. But the player they most wanted to keep hold of, defencive lynchpin Maxime Esteve, has signed an extended contract. Now, Parker needs to bring in another keeper, a midfield enforcer, and a striker, and either sell or loan at least 10 of their fringe players.
This is one of the most exciting times of the year for SBOTOP football supporters, and this fan in particular as the Clarets face Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotpsur in their Premier League opener when they make their return to the top table. Stoke fans have reason to be hopeful too, with one of the brightest managers in the EFL leading them.
This match is a friendly. But make no mistake, the Potters will be keen to go into the new campaign on a winning run, while the Clarets have two weeks to get it right, and then it’s all about getting positive Club Friendly 2025 results to build momentum ahead of the new season.
Tottenham Hotspur opened up their Asian tour in the best possible manner with a 1-0 win over near neighbours Arsenal as Pape Matar Sarr scored a spectacular goal to sink Spurs’ fiercest Premier League rivals.
In one of SBOTOP’s pick of summer friendlies, this was one we simply couldn’t leave out, and it certainly delivered as the Whites inflicted a first defeat of pre-season on the Gunners and grabbed a slice of the bragging rights in North London in the process. Of course, this club friendly match was a warm-up and a chance for Mikel Arteta and new Spurs boss Thomas Frank to continue their fine tuning, but I’d rather be a Spurs fan right now than a Gunner.
Yes, Arteta’s team are the second favourites to win the league this coming season, according to the early Premier League 2025 betting odds. The Gunners have been spending and they look equipped for the challenge but, once again, it will be a tough ask, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea all strengthening this summer. Arsenal have been runners up for three seasons running and that is a habit their fans would rather shed.
Tottenham have been in the shadow of their neighbours for too long, but the momentum began to shift, ever so slightly, right at the end of the campaign as Arsenal finished trophy-less, while Spurs won the Europa League to qualify for the 2025/26 Champions League.
This could be the season of Sarr
Tottenham defensive midfielder Pape Matar Sarr backed up his double in a 2-2 draw with Wycombe Wanderers last week with the stunning winner to sink the Gunners in Hong Kong on Thursday. He was a surprise hero in the draw with the League 1 side but this time he put a huge smile on the faces of Spurs fan with the winner, and the manner in which it was scored. The 22-year-old Senegal star robbed Lewis Myles-Skelly on the half way line and then, after taking a quick look up, he rifled his shot over Arsenal keeper David Raya and into the net.
This game always has needle and the Gunners tried to claim there was a foul on Lewis-Skelly in the build up but the referee wasn’t interested. From an early age Sarr has had the ability to shoot accurately from long range, but Arsenal fans took to social media to lay the blame at Raya’s door, asking why he thought he was a centre back!
Gyokeres get a sighter
In a pre-season friendly versus Tottenham Hotspur, Viktor Gyokeres made his unofficial Arsenal debut
While Spurs have an unlikely player who is scoring for fun in pre-season, the Gunners hope they have found a man who can bag them plenty of goals when the serious stuff begins. The biggest Premier League 2025 news to emerge from North London this summer was the arrival of Viktor Gyokeres at the Emirates in a $74m move from Sporting Lisbon. He was presented to the Arsenal fans last week and Gyokeres made a 13-minute cameo in the loss to Spurs. And he’ll have another chance to get to know his new team-mates when they face Villarreal at the Emirates next week.
With a goal a game record in his two years in Lisbon, the former Coventry City star will be keen to open his Arsenal account as soon as possible, in any format of the game. And the Gunners will be keen to get back to winning ways after beating both AC Milan and then Newcastle United out in the Far East before falling to Tottenham.
So far so good for Frank
It can’t feel much better in a pre-season friendly that to lead your new team to a derby win, albeit thousands of miles from home. Frank is looking to restore pride to Spurs this season after a 17th placed finish last year and he has the league and Champions League to prepare his team for, where the calibre of team he faces will be consistently high.
Sarr’s spectacular strike was not against the run of play as Spurs rattled the woodwork three times in the first half. Two of the chances came from corners as Richarlison missed both of them by the thickness of the post and that will be pleasing for Frank who has been working on set pieces, an area Spurs struggled with last season while Arsenal excelled.
These are early days but, with the dust cleared from Spurs’ trophy cabinet and a bright new manager, things could be looking up for the Whites…though they have been in this position before and Frank needs to make it count.
Club Friendly: Los Rojiblancos Visit the Dragons’ Lair
Porto vs Atletico Madrid
Porto and Atletico Madrid took one-month breaks after competing in the Club World Cup, and both teams are back in preseason action to prepare for the 2025-26 campaign. These two proud sides will convene at Estadio do Dragao this Sunday evening in what could be an exciting Club Friendly.
The hosts already have a headstart, as they’re fresh from a 2-1 win over Twente last weekend. The victory is a positive start for Francesco Farioli, who was appointed as the team’s new head coach following the departure of Martin Anselmi.
On the other hand, Atletico Madrid have yet to play a game since their premature Club World Cup exit. However, Diego Simeone’s side is favoured by the pregame Club Friendly 2025 odds because of the recent moves they’ve completed in this summer transfer window.
Learn more about these two teams, courtesy of today’s SBOTOP match preview.
Talking Points
Veiga is out for Porto
Porto’s Gabri Veiga in action against Palmeiras’ Richard Rios during the Club World Cup 2025 at MetLife Stadium
Gabri Veiga was one of the hottest commodities in the transfer market after showing out at Celta Vigo. However, he surprised everyone when he took his talents to Saudi Arabia to play for Al-Ahli. After spending the last two seasons at Al-Ahli, Veiga joined Porto for €15 million this summer, and the 23-year-old made his debut during a goalless draw against Palmeiras during the Club World Cup last month.
Unfortunately for Porto, Veiga is unavailable against Atletico Madrid after receiving a straight red card during their 2-1 tuneup win against Twente, as he got into an altercation with Naci Unuvar right before halftime. Stephen Eustaquio is poised to take Veiga’s spot in the middle of the park this Saturday.
Samu Aghehowa remains as Porto’s main attacking protagonist, and he’ll be eager to show what Atletico Madrid are missing. The 21-year-old forward didn’t get enough opportunities at Metropolitano, and he’s coming off a productive 2024-25 campaign, where he notched 19 league goals and three assists in 30 league matches.
Diogo Costa is another player to watch from Porto, as he has built a reputation as one of the most underrated goalkeepers in the world. Porto’s recent addition of Jan Bednarek should also help their backline.
Atletico Madrid have strengthened their backline
After acquiring Alex Baena, Matteo Ruggeri, Johnny Cardoso, and Thiago Almada earlier this offseason, Atletico Madrid managed to sign David Hancko from Feyenoord and Marc Pubill from Almeria to beef up their backline, and the two newbies are keen to prove their worth. There’s a chance they’ll play as soon as this weekend, most likely coming off the bench.
Manager Diego Simeone will deploy his usual starters against Porto. Robin Le Normand, Javi Galan, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Nahuel Molina should form the back four to cover goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Koke, Conor Gallagher, and Pablo Barrios should comprise their midfield, and Julian Alvarez, Antoine Griezmann, and Alexander Sorloth should take charge in the final third.
Atletico Madrid aim to return to winning ways after missing out on trophies last season, and stringing together positive Club Friendly 2025 results is a step in the right direction.
History
Sunday marks the 11th competitive meeting between Porto and Atletico Madrid, and this is only the first time they’ll meet in an exhibition match. They’ve had their battles in the Champions League, where Los Rojiblancos have the slight edge in the overall head-to-heads with four wins, whereas Porto have three wins and three draws.
After Porto defeated Atletico Madrid on away goals (2-2 aggregate tally) during the Round of 16 of the 2008-09 Champions League, these two teams have exclusively met in the group phase since then. Porto won 2-1 in their most recent encounter against Atletico Madrid during matchday 6 of the 2022-23 Champions League group stage. The Portuguese side eventually advanced to the knockouts after topping Group B with 12 points, while Atletico Madrid finished at the bottom with only five points.
In last month’s Club World Cup, Porto and Atletico Madrid failed to advance past the group stage. Porto were winless in their three group stage games with only two points to finish third in Group A. Atletico Madrid finished third in Group B due to having an inferior goal difference (-1), despite having the same number of points as Botafogo and PSG.
Porto are fresh from their second consecutive P3 finish in Liga Portugal, compiling 71 points, 11 points behind champions Sporting. The Dragons haven’t won the domestic league title since 2021-22.
Atletico Madrid also finished third in their league last season at 76 points, 12 points behind champions Barcelona. Los Rojiblancos’ last La Liga triumph was in the 2020-21 campaign.
Club Friendly: Tottenham Keen to Add to Newcastle’s Preseason Woes
Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United
Tottenham are off to an auspicious start under new head coach Thomas Frank, as they’re undefeated in his first four preseason games in charge. Following a 1-0 exhibition win against North London rivals Arsenal in Hong Kong, Tottenham will fly to the Seoul World Cup Stadium, where they’ll face Newcastle United in their next Club Friendly this Sunday evening.
In contrast, Newcastle United are dealing with problems on and off the pitch. Besides having to deal with several niggling injuries, Eddie Howe’s side also faces the dilemma of having to offload arguably their best player this summer, as Alexander Isak is reportedly keen on joining forces with Liverpool. After beating Carlisle 4-0 last month, the Magpies have lost three consecutive exhibition games against Celtic (4-0), Arsenal (3-2), and the K League XI (1-0).
With this said, the pregame Club Friendly 2025 odds back the Spurs to beat the Magpies. Either way, SBOTOP football fans are guaranteed to get their fair share of Club Friendly 2025 highlights.
Talking Points
Tottenham sweating on Solanke’s fitness
Tottenham won 1-0 against Arsenal yesterday, as Pape Matar Sarr scored from the halfway line after catching David Raya off his goal line right before halftime. From there, it was an impressive defencive showing from the Spurs, as they rebuffed the Gunners’ attempts at an equaliser in the second half.
The Spurs won despite not having Dominic Solanke in the rotation. The former Bournemouth striker was left out of the squad for the third straight contest, having not trained in an open session earlier this week. According to manager Thomas Frank, Solanke is “close” to returning from an ankle injury. We don’t expect him to play against Newcastle United, but if he does, he’ll likely come off the bench late in the match to get his wind.
As things stand, Richarlison should continue to start up front for the Spurs, with Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, and (maybe) Son Heung-Min in the final third. Meanwhile, James Maddison’s return from injury is a huge boon for the team.
Speaking of Kudus, the £65 million transfer fee Tottenham paid seems like money well spent. The former West Ham United winger produced another brilliant display yesterday, as he was strong on the ball and gave Myles Lewis-Skelly real problems. His work rate off the ball was also commendable, as he charged back to stop one counter from Declan Rice. And Tottenham were far less dangerous when he went off after an hour, with Brennan Johnson struggling to make an impact.
Newcastle United have a huge striker problem
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe reacts from the touchline during a friendly against K League stars in Suwon
Newcastle United also have their lineup problems, as Lewis Hall (ankle), Joe Willock (ankle), and Sven Botman (groin) are questionable to play against Tottenham due to injuries. However, their biggest lineup loss is Alexander Isak, who is reportedly training alone at Real Sociedad (his former club) amid transfer links to Liverpool.
With Isak likely on his way out of St. James Park soon, Newcastle United are eyeing up a new striker, with Yoane Wissa and Benjamin Sesko as their top targets. This summer, the Magpies have also parted ways with Sean Longstaff, Callum Wilson, Jamal Lewis, and Lloyd Kelly while bringing in Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for £55 million.
In the meantime, Eddie Howe will likely continue with having Elanga, William Osula, and Anthony Gordon as their front three, with Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy as their options off the bench.
History
Sunday marks the 173rd competitive encounter between Tottenham and Newcastle United. Their first-ever meeting was a 1-1 stalemate in an FA Cup contest back in February 1905. The Spurs have the advantage in the overall head-to-heads with 74 wins, whereas the Magpies have 64 victories and 34 draws. Tottenham have lost their last three meetings against Newcastle United, including a league double for the Magpies last season via an aggregate tally of 4-2. The Spurs’ previous win in this matchup was a 4-1 result back in December 2023.
Tottenham finished 17th in the Premier League standings last term. However, the Spurs managed to secure a spot in the Champions League after they defeated Manchester United in the Europa League final. Despite ending their trophy drought, Ange Postecoglou was sacked by the North London club after two seasons.
Newcastle United are also in the Champions League after finishing fifth in the English top-flight standings with 66 points, level with sixth-seeded Aston Villa and seventh-seeded Nottingham Forest. Under Eddie Howe, the Magpies have qualified for the showpiece event in two of the last three campaigns after failing to do so in the 20 years before 2022-23.
Serie A giants Lazio are heading to East Lancashire in the north of England this Saturday for a club friendly, and, while Burnley will prepare a warm welcome for the Romans, they may not find the weather to their liking!
At the time of writing, while the temperatures in the Italian capital city were a delightful 33 degrees C, while up in cloudy Lancashire it registered 15 degrees…but at least it wasn’t raining. This SBOTOP writer, a Burnley lad through and through, loves his home town but can see why visitors may find it less than appealing. Many a Premier League team from the south of England has approached the town with trepidation.
Legend has it that when Tottenham Hotspur visited back in the 1960s the sight of the rows of terrace roves and smoking chimneys prompted one star to ask the bus driver to turn around and head back home. So I wonder what the players and fans of Lazio will make of it. Reports in Burnley suggest the Italians have bought 1,200 tickets so there could well be a tasty atmosphere.
Anyway, back to the football. Lazio have been hit by a transfer ban this summer and manager Maurizio Sarri has a difficult job to lift his side up into the European places, with last season’s seventh placed finish looking the best he can hope for at the moment. Meanwhile, Burnley boss Scott Parker will ensure the Clarets will stand up for themselves this year in the top flight, they even managed to get a player sent off in their pre-season ‘friendly’ away to Stoke City!
Burnley are tooled up to compete
The American club owners at Burnley, ALK, seem to have learned from their last foray into the top flight when the then manager, Vincent Kompany sanctioned over £100m of player incomings, mostly on promising talent with no Premier League experience. Well, while this time around Parker has, so far, spent significantly less, the incomings look more ready to compete. Keeper James Trafford has headed back to Manchester City in a £31m deal while six times Premier League winner Kyle Walker came the other way, at a cost of £5m.
Burnley have snapped up 21-year-old winger Loum Tchaouna from Lazio for €15m
Walker is a born leader, an England regular within the last 12 months and he still has pace to burn; and he joins a team which is on a high, having picked up 100 points in the Championship last term. Among the other incomings are experienced centre back Axel Tuanzebe and Netherlands wingback Quilindschy Hartman. And in the Premier League 2025 news emerging from Turf Moor on Tuesday it seems the Clarets were getting close to a double signing from Chelsea, the club they bought centre back Bashir Humphrey from at the start of the window. As well as bringing in a new keeper to replace Trafford, Parker has prioritised a big, dominant midfielder and a striker, and in 21 year old Lesley Ugochukwu and 23 year old Armando Broja they may have two of their answers. Ugochukwu, at 6ft 3in tall, is a real unit and he played 21 games on loan at Southampton last season while also representing France Olympic. And Albanian born Broja already has Premier League experience with Chelsea and on loan at Fulham and Everton.
Lazio were in a battle for fourth place for much of last season but that seems a long way away for I Biancocelesti right now as they have been banned from making new signings this summer due to the club’s poor financial position. Not only can Sarri not strengthen his squad he is also prohibited from any internal spending so he can’t offer longer contracts to some of his key players, including defensive lynchpin Alessio Romagnoli. The club has managed to get around the restrictions to sign Udinese right back Kleo Shpuza. The 18 year old Albanian has joined I Biancocelste on a free loan with an option to buy in 2026; though he is likely to be a fringe player this season.
This is a difficult time for Lazio fans who have watched fierce rivals Roma spending during the summer and the latest Serie A 2025 betting odds back I Giallorossi to finish fifth, ahead of Lazio who are the seventh favourites. While Lazio play Burnley on Saturday Gian Piero Gasperini’s Roma have a fixture away to Everton at the same time. Maybe the two sets of fans can meet in Manchester for a pizza on Saturday night!
Daniel Farke’s Leeds have enjoyed a decent pre-season, with a draw against Villarreal last time out, and they have one more warm-up to play before they embark on a new Premier League season.
Meanwhile, Max Allegri’s AC Milan could well be in the Serie A title race mix this season after a disappointing campaign in 2024-25, and I Rossoneri are reloading and are ready to challenge.
Farke struggling to keep his men fit
The Club Friendly 2025 betting odds predict a tough campaign for Leeds, but the Whites will go into the new season with confidence after storming the Championship last term, winning the league on goal difference with 100 points in the bag. Farke will have certain teams in his sights as well as the other two promoted teams, Burnley and Sunderland. Wolves, West Ham United, and particularly Brentford, who have lost manager Thomas Frank and some key players, will all be catchable and a quick start would make all the difference.
The Yorkshire side has brought in some quality reinforcements in midfielder Anton Stach from Hoffenheim for a fee of £17 million and Slovenian defender Jaka Bijol from Udinese. But the £15 million capture from Lyon, Lucas Perri, is one of a number of players with fitness issues, just over a week before the new season begins. The Brazilian keeper hasn’t appeared so far and is struggling to shrug off a light injury he carried when he arrived at Elland Road.
Winger Daniel James, who was so influential during Leeds’ promotion campaign, also missed the draw with the Yellow Submarine, but the manager says he is closer to fitness and may be in contention to face Milan.
Midfielder Jack Harrison, on loan at Everton last season, and defender Jayden Bogle are both carrying knocks, while big defender Sebastiaan Bornauw suffered in an injury in training, and he looks highly unlikely to make the start of the season.
Farke will hope he can get over these injury worries quickly as this will be a long and arduous campaign, and he doesn’t want his team to be playing catch-up.
Milan’s top four mission
Luka Modric has signed with AC Milan, leaving Real Madrid after a distinguished career
With a disappointing eighth placed finish last season under Sergio Conceicao, I Rossoneri will now have an involuntary year off European football. But as invariably happens, that will give them an edge over their busier top four rivals. The pre-season SBOTOP odds make Allegri’s team one of four who will contest the title, alongside 2025 champions Napoli, Inter Milan, and Juventus, with AS Roma as an outside bet.
With players of the calibre of USA captain Christian Pulisic, Portuguese winger Rafael Leao, and English centre back Fikayo Tomori in the group, this is a squad with an impressive base, and Milan have spent freely this summer to strengthen their chances.
I Rossoneri have already recruited highly rated defencive midfielder Samuel Ricci from Torino for €23 million and flying wing-back Pervis Estupinan from Brighton for also €23 million. And of course, Real Madrid and Croatia legend Luka Modric joined Milan at the start of the transfer window, and he is sure to be an influential character both on and off the pitch.
The big Club Friendly 2025 news coming out of the San Siro this week concerns another exciting signing, with the confirmation that AC Milan have come to an agreement with Club Brugge to buy creative midfielder Ardon Jashari. I Rossoneri have been pursuing the player for weeks and have finally come to an agreement with a €39 million deal acceptable to all parties.
A young player with an old head on his shoulders, Jashari is superbly composed on the ball and has great vision, and his former Brugge coach says he is a born leader. With Modric as a mentor, this could be the perfect move for the 23-year-old Swiss star, who already has four full international caps. This is a big year for Milan. Allegri is a winner, and he will want his team to play in his image, determined, innovative, and ruthless. I Rossoneri have bought well to add to an already strong squad, and they are definitely up for the challenge of winning a 20th Scudetto, a title they picked up as recently as 2022.
I’ll be honest, this SBOTOP scribe didn’t really rate Chelsea’s achievements all that highly last season.
Sure, they qualified for the Champions League by finishing fourth in the Premier League and then went onto win the Europa Conference League but, given their financial outlay over the past three years, that is a pretty mediocre return.
Truthfully such investment should really lead to being in contention for both the league title (something they never were) and Europe’s top prize rather than its third tier competition which, let’s face it, is really aimed at providing some of the lesser clubs with a chance of gaining European football.
Even though that is little more than an invitation-only tournament (the real world title will be up for grabs in December), it pointed to a side who could well now be capable of challenging for the biggest club honours.
So now is the time to start accurately judging Chelsea under the Italian Enzo Maresca and to see just how good, or otherwise, they really are.
As they welcome Bayer Leverkusen to Stamford Bridge for their penultimate pre-season club friendly, we may get a few clues.
Talking Points
This game, along with a friendly against Milan a few days later, could see both friendly 2025 highlights and see Chelsea hand debuts to three of their summer signings.
Willian Estevao, Jamie Gittens, and Jorrel Hato are in line to sport blue for the very first time. Estevao and Gittens were both involved in Palmeiras and Borussia Dortmund’s Club World Cup campaigns – the former even played and scored against Chelsea – while Hato signed from Ajax last week.
Forwards Joao Pedro and Liam Delap could also be set for home debuts after impressing at the Club World Cup.
Maresca had injury headaches over Benoit Badiashile, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Enzo Fernandez but, quite frankly, such is the strength of the squad at his disposal, Chelsea pretty much have three players for every position.
How Maresca’s compatriot would love such issues.
Erik ten Hag’s Bayer Leverkusen will lock horns with Chelsea in a pre-season friendly fixture at Stamford Bridge
The former Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag has arrived in Germany just as Levekusen has lost several key figures in its success in the shape of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong (to Liverpool), Jonathan Tah (to Bayern Munich), Odion Kossounou (to Atalanta) and Granit Xhaka (to Sunderland).
It’s early days and the Dutchman is beginning to put his stamp on the squad with the arrivals of Mark Flekken from Brentford, Jarrell Quansah from Liverpool and Malik Tillmann from PSV Eindhoven but, after such a big shake-up, there is no doubt the side which won the Bundesliga league and cup double in 2024 – and was one game from going an entire season at home and abroad unbeaten – is starting again when it comes to building a squad ready to chase silverware.
The Bundesliga outfit won’t be at full strength for their visit to London as Aleix García and Jeanuel Belocian are managing injuries and might not be risked. Martin Terrier is already confirmed to miss the start of the season.
Such change in personnel will mean the visitors may struggle against a side of Chelsea’s might, even in a pre-season friendly.
On Monday, the Czech international, who scored 21 Bundesliga goals last season, signed a new deal which extends his stay at the club through to the summer of 2030.
Schick has scored 81 goals in 168 competitive appearances since joining Leverkusen from Roma, via a loan stint at RB Leipzig, in 2020 and he will be a major figure as the Leverkusen rebuild begins.
While they are planning to return to the level they were at, for Chelsea, now is the time. Their squad and extensive outlay demands that.
History
These teams have met twice competitively and, on both occasions, the side with home advantage edged home.
The clashes came in the 2011-12 season in the Champions League group stage, a campaign in which the west Londoners would go onto win the tournament.
Second half goals from David Luiz and Juan Mata won the day at Stamford Bridge, before Leverkusen avenged that result a few months later.
Then, after Didier Drogba had put Chelsea in front, Leverkusen scored twice in the last 15 minutes through Eren Derdiyok and Manuel Friedrich.
I fear for Brentford ahead of the new season, I really do. Since being promoted to the top-flight for the first time in 74 years in 2021, the club from West London has excelled all expectations on a shoestring, upsetting some of the big boys, and generally being a tough nut to crack with limited resources.
Yet there comes a time when, in a world of big spending power, that can only last so long and, ahead of this high-profile Club Friendly at the Gtech Community Stadium on Friday night, this SBOTOP writer confesses to thinking the Bees’ Premier League status will be seriously under threat during 2025-26.
Talking Points
There are so many obvious reasons why. For a start, the departure of Thomas Frank has removed the club’s public face. He was the man who made it all happen, someone who embodied and fronted the rise of one of London’s smaller concerns. As a former colleague of mine observed this week, without him, uncertainty is unavoidable.
Now, as if the Dane being unable to resist the lure of Spurs wasn’t hard enough, three key members of staff have followed him.
Then there is the further loss of on-field leadership, most notably in club captain Christian Nørgaard, veteran centre-back Ben Mee, striker Bryan Mbeumo, and goalkeeper Mark Flekken. The future of Mbeumo’s former strike partner Yoane Wissa is also uncertain.
In my view – and there is still a fair few weeks remaining of the transfer window – they have only adequately replaced one of them with the signature of Caoimhin Kelleher.
What’s more, they have gone and replaced Frank with a rookie manager in the shape of Keith Andrews, appointed from within.
The whole combination I’ve just outlined is why many punters now fancy Brentford for the drop. It gives me no pleasure to say, I am one of them.
We will get a better look when this friendly pits them with the side which finished in 10th place in last season’s Bundesliga.
This is actually the final pre-season friendly for both Brentford and Borussia Monchengladbach before their respective league campaigns begin, so perhaps we will get a clearer steer on both clubs and a contest full of Club Friendly 2025 highlights.
Once a powerhouse of German football, Monchengladbach have been quiet for a number of campaigns and nowadays find it harder than ever to keep star names like these at the club, especially when they unearth goalscoring attackers like Alassane Pléa or Marcus Thuram.
To date, they have had a fairly positive pre-season, beginning with a 3-0 friendly win over Erzgebirge Aue before heading to Tegernsee for a training camp in the Bavarian Alps.
A friendly showing against Metalist 1925 Kharkiv was less impressive as they lost 3-1 but wins against Nurnberg and notably, La Liga side Valencia last time out means they travel to England in good spirits.
The victory against Valencia last Saturday marked the club’s 125th anniversary and was played at a sold-out Borussia Park with Robin Hack and Kevin Diks grabbing the goals in a 2-0 win in a contest watched by 51,125 fans.
Eyes will be on Haris Tabaković, a new signing from Hoffenheim, who the Foals hope he will add some experience to their attack and the 31-year-old has done well in pre-season so far, although more will be expected from Japanese attacker Shūto Machino, who joined from Holstein Kiel.
Former Holstein Kiel forward Shūto Machino celebrates scoring against Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga in January 2025
Machino, 25, spent two seasons in Germany’s north with Kiel after joining in summer 2023 from Japanese outfit Shonan Bellmare. During his time there, he helped propel them into the Bundesliga for the first time in the club’s history, before scoring 11 goals and providing four assists in the top-flight.
There is no doubt the German side will prove decent opposition for Brentford as a whole new era begins and my Club Friendly 2025 odds tip is: expect goals.
Brentford had the eighth-worst defencive record in the Premier League last season, conceding 57 goals, while Monchengladbach were the joint worst defensive team in the top 14 of the Bundesliga, also conceding 57 times.
History
This will be the first ever meeting between the Bees, who have drawn against Portuguese side Gil Vicente, and defeated Championship outfit QPR in their two friendlies so far, and the Foals.
Club Friendly: Fulham and Frankfurt Will Entertain at Craven Cottage
Bournemouth vs Real Sociedad
After a torrid time in the United States for their Premier League Summer Series tour, Bournemouth will head back to the Vitality Stadium, where they’ll host Real Sociedad in their final Club Friendly this summer before they kick off the 2025-26 campaign against Liverpool next week.
Andoni Iraola’s side has been through a lot this summer, as they sold some of their key players from last term. You can see that the outgoings affected them, as they’re on a lacklustre run of Club Friendly 2025 results. Bournemouth finished third in the Premier League Summer Series with only three points, and they’ve lost back-to-back games against Manchester United and West Ham United.
On the other hand, Real Sociedad also let go of one of their key players this summer, but they’ve done better in preseason. La Real come into this contest undefeated in three of their last four matches (W2, D1, L1).
Learn more about these two teams, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Talking Points
Bournemouth could lose one more star
Illia Zabarnyi takes a shot during Bournemouth’s Premier League Summer Series clash with West Ham at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
The Cherries have already sold Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez for roughly €100 million, which is difficult to resist. In return, they signed Djordje Petrovic and Adrien Truffert for only €43 million, and they may be tempted to sell another one of their stars this offseason.
After a standout 2024-25 campaign, where he established himself as a key starter at the back, Illia Zabarnyi might leave Bournemouth, with PSG knocking on his door. The Parisiens reportedly submitted a transfer offer of €60 million (plus variables), and Zabarnyi’s representatives have already agreed terms, but Bournemouth are reportedly holding out.
With both teams in a stalemate, Zabarnyi is reportedly losing patience, and Tottenham and Newcastle United could hijack the deal to acquire the Ukrainian centre-back. Bournemouth are under pressure to find the best deal for Zabarnyi as soon as possible because they cannot afford to have a disgruntled star in their dressing room.
Zabarnyi still started for the Cherries against West Ham United during their final Premier League Summer Series match. But his presence wasn’t enough to stop the Hammers from scoring, as Niclas Fullkrug and Jarrod Bowen had one goal apiece.
In other transfer news, Bournemouth just completed the transfer of Neto to Botafogo. Neto, 36, spent last season on loan at Arsenal and was headed into the final year of his Bournemouth contract. The Cherries will make a significant saving on his wages, as the Brazilian goalie was one of the club’s highest-paid players.
Guedes might make his Real Sociedad debut
Real Sociedad have had a relatively quiet offseason, following the €70 million sale of Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal, until they acquired Duje Caleta-Car to strengthen their backline and Goncalo Guedes to bolster their attack.
La Real reportedly paid only €4 million for the Portuguese forward, and Guedes will compete for minutes alongside Mikel Oyarzabal, Takefusa Kubo, and Ander Barrenetxea. Guedes has spent his 2024-25 campaign playing for Villarreal, Benfica, and Wolves. He was largely used from the bench at Molineux last term, starting just 10 of his 29 Premier League appearances. On the other hand, Caleta-Car arrived from Lyon via loan. Both of them could debut for Real Sociedad this weekend.
After losing 1-0 to V-Varen Nagasaki in their first club friendly, Real Sociedad won 2-1 against Yokohama FC and 4-1 against Osasuna before drawing 1-1 against Rennes. After visiting the Vitality Stadium, Sergio Francisco’s side will open their La Liga campaign against Valencia next week.
History
Saturday marks only the second meeting between Bournemouth and Real Sociedad. These two teams last met in an exhibition game at the Vitality Stadium last July 2022. Real Sociedad won 2-1, as Mikel Merino and Igor Zubeldia scored one goal each, and Junior Stanislas recorded a late goal to prevent a shutout loss for Bournemouth. The pregame Club Friendly 2025 odds predict another close contest, with the La Liga side likely to win again by an odd goal.
Before their third-place finish in the Premier League Summer Series, Bournemouth finished ninth in the English top-flight standings last term with 56 points, level with 10th-seeded Brentford. It was their best finish in recent memory, as, at one point, they were in contention for a European football berth.
Meanwhile, Real Sociedad finished 11th in the La Liga standings with 46 points, level with 12th-seeded Valencia. After spending 14 years coaching La Real, Imanol Alguacil left the club to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab. Sergio Francisco was appointed to replace Alguacil as the team’s head coach.
Club Friendly: Turbulent Toon Set to Host New-Look Atletico
Newcastle United vs Atletico Madrid
Newcastle United fans are in a bit of a lather right now heading into their final Club Friendly against Atletico Madrid. Hot under the collar, agitated, frustrated, all understandable emotions, as their club tries to strengthen ahead of the new season, all while trying to keep hold of their best player.
My view on the Alexander Isak situation is clear: they need to show strength and insist that their frontman stays on Tyneside, and that the club won’t be bullied into giving up on him. After all, he is a player who helped the Toon Army defy the SBOTOP Club Friendly 2025 betting odds to lead them into the Champions League for the second time in three seasons.
This rounded off a campaign in which they ended 55 years of hurt spectacularly with a memorable League Cup triumph in March against Liverpool with Isak netting a memorable winner.
While the reality is that Isak appears to have been unsettled by interest from elsewhere, surely a sit down and conversation with Eddie Howe, the manager who invested so much time and money in him three years ago this month, can pay dividends – praise after the punishment of being ordered to train separately from his teammates and stay away from a lunchtime training-ground barbecue.
Regardless of whether he is reintegrated into first-team training (and hopefully he will be), Isak seems unlikely to be involved in the Sela Cup at St. James’ Park, where Newcastle seek Club Friendly 2025 highlights against two La Liga sides – Espanyol on Friday night and Atlético Madrid on Saturday afternoon.
So now onto the next issue, the one that appears to be frustrating the Toon faithful just as much: how can they strengthen and not be pipped to their number one targets by Premier League rivals?
Talking Points
So far, this has been a miserable summer for the Tynesiders. Manchester United have all but usurped them for their main striker target, Benjamin Sesko, while Liverpool pipped them to Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in July.
Boardroom upheaval for the second summer running has presumably not helped with sporting director Paul Mitchell leaving the club in May.
Although there were reportedly initial tensions between manager Eddie Howe and Mitchell over how they worked together, it was rather telling that Howe recognised how such a figure “protects the manager from a lot of things”.
In addition, the club is still looking for a new CEO, hot on the heels of the departures of co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi last summer.
The Geordies have made two good moves to date, recruiting Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale on loan from Southampton.
Yet the reality is the Magpies face a race against time to recruit a centre-back, central midfielder, and at least one striker before the window shuts on September 1 – let alone before the season starts in just over a week.
In terms of pre-season results, Newcastle began their preparations for the new season with a 4-0 victory over Carlisle United, but they lost three straight games against Celtic, Arsenal, and K-League XI before finishing their pre-season tour with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham last time out.
That was an improved scoreline for the Tynesiders, but it has been said many times before, results really are secondary at this stage.
For the hosts, Joe Willock will miss out through injury, while defender Sven Botman is a slight doubt, but Newcastle are otherwise in good shape in terms of their first-team squad. Lewis Hall made his return against Spurs.
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone takes charge of training on the eve of their 2025 Club World Cup meeting with Paris Saint-Germain
As for Atletico, who failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the recent World Club Championship, they arrive in England following a 1-0 friendly defeat to Porto.
The summer arrivals have given Diego Simeone’s side a completely new look with the likes of Alex Baena (from Villarreal), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Matteo Ruggeri (Atalanta), David Hancko (Feyenoord), Marc Pubill (Almeria) and Thiago Almada (Botafogo) all vying for a place in the starting XI.
Again, this friendly will provide an interesting opportunity to see how they could shape up when the real action begins.
In truth though, most eyes will be on Newcastle and how ready, or otherwise, they are with the new Premier League season little over a week away.
History
Newcastle and Atletico Madrid have never met competitively before or even in a friendly, making this encounter even more intriguing.
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18-Jul 2025 Friday
5:13 PM (36 days ago)
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