The Catalan membership maintains to ease into pre-season towards the team that knocked them out of the Champions League ultimate season, Roma.
03:00 BST, Wednesday 1st August (AT&T Stadium, Arlington, USA)
Barcelona and Roma are both easing into pre-season after playing one sport apiece at the International Champions Cup, every against Tottenham.
After leading 2-zero, Barcelona have been pegged again via the North London group however won on penalties. Roma didn’t fare as properly, dropping 4-1. Kicking off at 9pm in Arlington, Texas, neighborhood enthusiasts will omit out on superstars together with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho as they rest and get better after the World Cup.
Although Roma have traveled with their strongest squad, they'll must adapt to existence with out Radja Nainggolan and Alisson Becker who departed to Inter Milan and Liverpool, respectively.
Last Time Out
Barcelona 2 – 2 Tottenham (Barcelona win five-3 on consequences) [International Champions Cup]
Young Brazilian signing Arthur had a debut to keep in mind after extending Barcelona’s lead, scoring a beautiful strike from outside the field into the pinnacle nook. Munir El Haddadi, returning from a mortgage at Alaves remaining season, put Barcelona in the front with a header after 15 mins.
The Catalan giants made a raft of 2d half adjustments, with eight players approaching after the damage and the game seemed to be drifting to a best conclusion, earlier than Christian Eriksen rattled the publish from a loose kick to shock Barcelona.
If it became a warning signal, it wasn’t heeded as Son Heung-min scored quickly afterwards while the ball fell to him within the field following a blocked Eriksen strike. They leveled minutes later with Georges-Kevin Nkoudou imparting the crowning glory to another scramble within the region.
Barcelona regained their composure to attain all 5 consequences inside the shootout, as Jasper Cillessen saving Anthony Georgiou’s tame attempt.
Roma 1 – 4 Tottenham [International Champions Cup]
With a lot of Tottenham’s players going deep into the World Cup, Mauricio Pochettino fielded an beneath-strength group for their International Champions Cup debut, but accurate performances from fringe players which include Lucas Moura and Fernando Llorente saw them record a resounding victory.
Roma to begin with led after Patrik Schick opened the scoring after just 3 minutes, but it didn’t take long for Tottenham to strike again with Moura and Llorente every registering a brace earlier than the stroke of 1/2-time.
The ease with which Pochettino’s team carved Roma aside become reminiscent of the thrashing suffered in opposition to Liverpool inside the Champions League final season, and it would had been extra if wholesale modifications from both groups in the 2nd 1/2 didn’t completely alter the complexion of the friendly.
Barcelona Lineup
With most of Barcelona’s senior players miles away from Texas, still convalescing after a checking out World Cup – from the likes of France, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay and Croatia – and Andres Iniesta and Paulinho leaving for Asia, it’s in all likelihood that Barcelona field an entirely one of a kind XI to the only that remarkably misplaced 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico within the spring.
It may be an experimental first crew if the sport towards Tottenham was any indication. Malcom, a substitute remaining time, might also get his first start in opposition to the membership Barcelona gazumped to signal him.
Roma Lineup
After so many goals conceded towards Tottenham, Eusebio Di Francesco may look his more experienced gamers so that you can avoid some other embarrassing defeat.
He may want to revert to the three on the again that became so a hit in opposition to Barcelona in the Champions League, and use the same 5 protective options once more.
New signing Javier Pastore should slot into the hole left with the aid of Nainggolan in midfield and Edin Dzeko ought to lead the road again.
Key Battle: Edin Dzeko (Roma) vs Clement Lenglet (Barcelona)
The Bosnian striker turned into a key determine in Roma’s stunning three-zero win over Barcelona inside the Champions League, getting in in the back of to attain early earlier than prevailing the penalty that doubled their lead. With a summer season’s rest, and best offering for 1/2 an hour towards Tottenham, he’s fresh to cause havoc another time.
But it'll be against a distinctive centre-half of this time. New arrival Clement Lenglet from Sevilla looked confident against Tottenham, and it became best after he changed into substituted that Barcelona conceded.
Roma’s director of soccer Monchi will understand all about the abilities of the Frenchman, as he scouted the participant at Nancy and signed him for his former club Sevilla.
The 23-year-antique stood out regardless of Sevilla being the shielding shambles surrounding him, and was particularly fantastic against Manchester United within the Champions League. This may be an interesting early check for the player.
Talking Points
Malcom to expose Roma what they may have had
After signing the likes of Ivan Rakitic, Seydou Keita, Dani Alves and Aleix Vidal (and Lenglet, too), Barcelona speedy-tracked their common technique of paying over the odds for a Monchi gem and going instantly to the source.
Malcom became prepared to join Roma earlier than Barcelona presented him greater at the final second. Roma lovers had been ready on the airport for his arrival simplest to be disappointing in one of the most memorable transfer sagas of the summer time. The wearing director spoke at period about the scenario:
The proper winger, signed from Bordeaux, may also make his first begin for Barcelona, however he could so effortlessly might have been playing in Roma's colors in this encounter. Will he display them what they're missing?
Life after Alisson
The Brazilian shot-stopper became terrific for Roma ultimate season and one in every of their most crucial players as they completed 1/3 in Serie A and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
Before him, Wojciech Szczesny was a key cog, so they have set a precedent in making effective replacements and that they have signed three goalkeepers this summer to that cease.
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