Football fans are currently in this exciting period, where they can once again support their favorite teams after several weeks of vacation, and especially see them warm up before the start of serious things and the resumption of the championships in August.
A period of friendly encounters, some of which were prestigious.
Like this night, when the United States hosted three gala matches between teams who came to make their pre-season tour there: Bayern Munich faced Manchester City at Lambeau Field (Green Bay, Wisconsin), a London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea was contested at Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Florida), and a Clasico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona at Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, Nevada).
Beginnings with shovel, Tuchel reassembled against his players
It therefore only took 12 minutes for Erling Haaland, Manchester City's star rookie of the summer, to be decisive with his new team.
Left on the bench during the first friendly match of the Skyblues, the Norwegian was this time a starter and made Manuel Neuer his first victim in sky blue, well placed to receive a cross from Jack Grealish in the area, the only goal of the game (1-0).
Many rookies were able to show themselves again on both sides, with the appearances of Alvarez and Phillips on the Manchester side and Mazraoui, Gravenberch and De Ligt on the Munich side.
First City goal in the bag!
⚽️ pic.twitter.com/zxHnEhGcqt
— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 23, 2022
In Las Vegas, Real Madrid played his very first friendly of the season, and it was against FC Barcelona who already had three games in their legs.
Note, beyond Barça's 1-0 victory over a goal by former Rennes player Raphinha, the tenure of Robert Lewandowski and his number 12, alongside the Brazilian and Ansu Fati in attack.
The first Madrid minutes of Tchouaméni
On the Madrid side, without Karim Benzema, we could see the very first minutes of Antonio Rüdiger and especially Aurélien Tchouaméni in the Real Madrid jersey but also, as crazy as it may seem, the first Clasico disputed by Eden Hazard, more 3 years after signing for Real.
A match that was only friendly in name, with great physical intensity and even a few scuffles on the ground, in the first period.
Finally, Arsenal made short work of Chelsea in this relocated London derby: a resounding 4-0 victory for the Gunners, with the fourth goal of rookie Gabriel Jesus in as many outings, but also the debut of the Ukrainian Oleksandr Zinchenko, who had just arrived and played the first period.
“We were absolutely not competitive, Thomas Tuchel got carried away after the match.
What is worrying is that the level of commitment, physical and mental, for this match was not the same, it was much higher for Arsenal than for us.
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Just one change at the break...
↩️ Alex Zinchenko
🔛 Nuno Tavares
🔴 2-0 🔵 (46) pic.twitter.com/KODth6qNSl
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 24, 2022
Contrasting results for French clubs
In addition to the great victory of PSG in Japan, against the Urawa Red Diamonds (3-0) and the heavy defeat of Lyon in the Netherlands against Willem II (5-0), many French clubs were playing this Saturday.
AS Monaco was defeated by FC Porto (2-1), as its preliminary round of the Champions League approaches (August 2 against PSV Eindhoven).
Nice held José Mourinho's AS Roma in check, as did Lille, who conceded a draw against Las Palmas (Spanish D2).
Note the very fine victory of RC Lens against Inter, at Bollaert (1-0) and the spectacular match between Montpellier and Toulouse, with nine goals scored (4-5).
Lille, Lyon and Reims play this Sunday against Espanyol Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven and Villarreal respectively.
