Manchester City vs AC Milan

Manchester City face AC Milan at the Allianz Arena in the semi finals of the Audi Cup, a preseason tournament hosted by Bayern Munich. The tournament also features Bayern and Brazilian team Sao Paolo, who play the second semi-final. The winners of both games will play the final on August 1. All games in the tournament are scheduled to take place on Bayern's home ground - the Allianz Arena.

Manchester City are well into their pre-season having already played four games. After being defeated in their first two against SuperSport United and AmaZulu FC, the team seems to be finding their feet under new manager Manuel Pellegrini. They recently won the Barclays Asia Trophy, defeating both South China and Sunderland 1-0 to lift the trophy.

AC Milan, on the other hand, have only just begun their pre-season schedule. The game against City will be only their second. Considering the Serie A season begins later than the Premier League season, the AC Milan team will be behind in their fitness levels.

City will be without defender Matija Nastasic who suffered an injury in the game against Sunderland.

"We will have to wait to find out how serious the injury to Nastasic is," Pellegrini said. "At this moment we don't know whether he needs an operation or if there is another solution but I have a lot of players that I can rely on."

The manager refused to give any clues as to who will be starting the game.

"Yes the whole squad is here except for Matija [Nastasic]," the Spaniard said. "I don't know who will play against Milan yet. It's more important we see who is fit and who is ready to play."

Unfortunately, former Manchester City current AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli will also be missing.

"Mario [Balotelli] is a very important player for us but he won't feature in this tournament because he has been away with Italy at the Confederations Cup," said AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri. "He has only been back for two days and needs to build up his fitness first."

Former Manchester City midfielder Nigel De Jong, however, is in line to face his old club for the first time since his transfer last season.

Kitchee FC vs Manchester United

It took a late goal by Wilfried Zaha, his first for United, to salvage a 2-2 draw against Cerezo Osaka on Friday, when Shinji Kagawa also scored against his former club after missing a penalty minutes earlier. Kitchee FC are also in pre-season and building up to the start of their new campaign at the end of August. They finished second to South China in Hong Kong's first division in 2012/13.

David Moyes informed journalists at a press conference on Sunday that Jonny Evans (ankle) is United's only definite absentee. With temperatures high in Hong Kong, the Reds boss is again likely to make second-half substitutions, as he did in Osaka.

Alex Gomez only took over the reins at Kitchee last month, replacing Josep Gombau, who left for A-League club Adelaide United. Having held Academy roles at Barcelona since 2007, this is Spaniard Gomez's first senior coaching position.

 United have played six previous friendlies in Hong Kong since visiting for the first time in 1975. The Reds' most recent fixture in the region was in 2005, when Giuseppe Rossi and Dong Fangzhuo scored in a 2-0 win over Hong Kong.

 Barcelona-born striker Jordi Tarres is a prolific goal-getter for Kitchee, having scored 49 goals in 65 appearances to date. The Hong Kong outfit also have former Fulham defender Zesh Rehman in their ranks.

West Tigers vs Manly Sea Eagles

The the last game on Monday for NRL Round 20 is between Wests Tigers and Manly Sea Eagles. The opening bounce is set to commence at 7:00pm with the game to be played at Campbelltown Sports Stadium. The favourite for the match is away team Manly Sea Eagles. View our preview and teams for the game between Wests Tigers and Manly Sea Eagles.

A tumultuous week for the Tigers concluded last Friday night with a loss to New Zealand 24 – 14.
It was the second loss in a row for the Tigers who languish at the bottom of the competition ladder in fourteenth spot and, for the remainder of the year, will be playing for pride only.
Manly on the other hand have their sights firmly fixed on a top four spot and, with the Knights facing the Roosters, a win here will virtually guarantee the top four at the end of the season will be those currently filling the top spots now.
Manly registered their third big victory in as many weeks when accounting for the Gold Coast 38 – 20 last week. It was also the third week in a row the Sea Eagles had posted in excess of 34 points.
Manly posted a big win last time these two sides met back in Round 4 as well, winning 26 – 0 at Brookvale.
The Sea Eagles have named what could possibly be, their strongest side of the year to date for this clash and would expect them to be way to good for the Tigers.

Thailand vs Liverpool

Liverpool will wrap up their preseason tour of Asia and Australia on Sunday. Having already triumphed in friendly matches against Indonesia XI and Melbourne Victory, the Reds will aim to end their trip to the Far East with a 3-0 record by defeating Thailand.

As you can see in this Instagram photo of Reds captain Steven Gerrard, the people of Thailand are excited that Liverpool is coming to town:

The Reds will be visitors at Rajamangala National Stadium, but their supporters are expected to dominate attendance. Per Liverpool's official website, the Reds are estimated to have over 14 million followers in the country.

Stadiums in Jakarta, Indonesia and Melbourne, Australia have been filled to the brim during the first part of Liverpool's tour. There's a good chance that trend will continue in Bangkok.

The big question surrounding Liverpool these days is simple: Will Luis Suarez be on the roster when the Reds play their first Premier League match against Stoke City? As reported by Sky Sports, Reds managing director Ian Ayre has remained firm in his stance that the striker is not for sale.

According to David Hytner and Andy Hunter of The Guardian, Arsenal are currently preparing a fresh bid for the Uruguayan forward. Liverpool have continued to resist pressure to sell Suarez, but a hefty transfer bid might change their minds.

As the Reds continue to deal with the Suarez saga, work on their fitness and infuse new transfers Kolo Toure, Simon Mignolet and Iago Aspas into the lineup, Sunday's match will give Rodgers an excellent chance to gauge his club's progress before they return to Anfield to face Olympiacos in a friendly on Aug. 3.

Although fans in Thailand will gather to catch a glimpse of all of Liverpool's stars, Suarez is the one who shines the brightest when he's motivated to do so.

Unfortunately, he might not be with Liverpool much longer.

The subject of intense transfer rumours this summer, Suarez further fueled speculation that he's disinterested with his current club with his body language against Melbourne Victory.

Not yet a starter since he is returning from an extended hiatus, Suarez's overall production on Wednesday in a reserve role was in line with what we've seen during his three seasons with the Reds.

But after setting up Aspas for a late goal, Suarez's face remained without emotion. He barely acknowledged teammates after the ball went into the net.

Suffice to say, Suarez wants a transfer and he wants it now.

If that distraction wasn't enough for Rodgers and players like Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge and others completely invested in helping Liverpool regain their status as a European contender, more news broke on Friday putting the business side of the club in doubt.

According to Simon English of The Sun, John Henry and Fenway Sports Group reportedly have interest in selling the English club for a sum of £350 million.

Citing excessive spending and Liverpool's inability to crash the European football scene, English's sources claim FSG have grown disinterested in their connection to the Reds and are instead looking to get out.

Distractions are everywhere, but the show must go on.

Back on the pitch, Rodgers is going to have to coach his players whether or not the name on the deed changes. With a seventh-place finish in the 2012-13 EPL table serving as motivation, the Reds have work to do to contend in the league this year.

Starting in the net, changes have been made. Mignolet was signed to provide competition for goalkeeper Pepe Reina, but the latter has moved on to Napoli.

It will be hard to judge Liverpool's current outfit based on Sunday's match. The Reds were content to coast in their match against Melbourne Victory and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the "friendly" label keep the club from going all-out on Sunday.


That being said, time is running out for Liverpool to prepare for the upcoming Premier League season. Olympiacos will travel to Anfield next week for another friendly, and two other matches against Valerenga and Celtic offer late chances for Rodgers to get his squad into shape.

Stoke City (Aug. 17) will be at Anfield before we can blink.

Regardless of the outcome, fans in Thailand will get a kick out of Sunday's friendly match. From seeing the club's stars to getting a brief glimpse at lineup strategies Rodgers is leaning toward using, there will be storylines worth watching as Liverpool concludes their tour of the Far East.

Geelong FC vs St Kilda Saints

Geelong suffered their second surprise loss in the past five weeks when, as they did against Brisbane back in round 13, they blew a substantial third quarter lead.
Last week it was to the Adelaide Crows which, unfortunately for St. Kilda this week, means the Champion side will be out to set the record straight.

Fremantle faced Geelong after the Brisbane loss and were dealt a 41 point hiding.

Geelong are giving St. Kilda 45.5 here which isn’t bad, given that last time these two met, back in round 21 of last year, Geelong were victorious by 42 points. Saints won twelve games last season and have only three to their name for 2013, so the line is worth close consideration.

St. Kilda recorded their fourth consecutive loss last week when, albeit narrowly, were defeated by Port Adelaide, 97 – 92.

It was a much better performance from the Saints than there three previous losses, which were by an average margin of 45 points however, it will still not be good enough for them to challenge Geelong who will win this one comfortably.

Western Bulldogs vs West Coast Eagles

After a rare and narrow win over the hapless GWS back in round 15, the Bulldogs have lost to Essendon and Hawthorn and whilst they’ve finished on the wrong side of the ledger in those games, the effort has at least been there.
They can take some positives out of those games and apply them to this match against West Coast as they search for their fourth win of the season.
West Coast strung four wins together during the middle of the season and looked to be building some much needed momentum heading into the second half of the year however, the Eagles have only been able to win two of their past seven games with their most recent matches, resulting in losses to Fremantle and last week, Sydney.
They sit two wins out of the eight in tenth spot on the ladder and needless to say, can not afford to drop a game for the remainder of the season.
They’ll be confident of winning this game though given their recent winning efforts over the Bulldogs. They’ve won the last four straight, three of them by margins of 70, 49 and 123.
They’ve only been asked to cover 23.5 here but given the efforts of the Bulldogs over the past fortnight and, coupled with the omission this week of Nic Naitanui from the Eagles, the Bulldogs will make sure the West Coast earn their victory.
Expecting a tight contest here than the market suggests.

Cronulla Sharks vs Penrith Panthers

The Cronulla Sharks will try to put some points on the board after being shutout last week when the Penrith Panthers come to visit this weekend. Join us for live scores and updates from 2.00pm AEST.
Cronulla’s season has been fairly steady, currently sitting in seventh, however they appeared well off the pace when the second-ranked Roosters blew them out by 40 points last round.
The Panthers are on the outside looking in at the final eight, at ninth on the ladder, but their recent form (three wins in five games) has been strong, albeit for a hiccup last week against the Knights (going down by 18).
Despite being further down the ladder, the Panthers have scored more than four more points more than the Sharks per game, and their leading try scorer – David Simmons, with 15 – is far more productive than Cronulla’s leading scorer Andrew Fifita (6 tries).
Last time these two faced was almost a year ago in Round 21 of the 2012 season, and the Sharks jumped to an early lead, up 10-6 at halftime.
After trading points early in the second, Cronulla then scored what looked like the game winner with three minutes to go, but through some miracle the Panthers were able to get over in the corner and send the game to golden point, and through the boot of Luke Walsh the Panthers won 21-20.
Cronulla was in the news this week for off-field reasons – backrower Wade Graham was spared from a second round of interviews regarding doping allegations, however nine other Sharks will face interviews, including captain Paul Gallen.
Panthers Coach Ivan Cleary is the centre of news in Penrith, after complaining last week about the conduct of Newcastle prop Kade Snowden which resulted in a two match ban.
Newcastle coach Wayne Bennett spoke out this week against Cleary, claiming that Cleary’s comments cost Snowden an extra week of suspension.

Newcastle Knights vs Sydney Roosters

The final of Sunday’s three games should be a beauty as the Sydney Roosters travel north to take on Newcastle.
Newcastle made it three wins in a row with a strong victory over Penrith last week 30 – 14. It was their second victory on the road in as many weeks and they return home sitting in fifth spot on the ladder.
This, one of only four remaining home games for the Knights, will be a good test of their ability to handle finals football.
Sydney has been dominant in the past two weeks, keeping both St. George and Cronulla pointless as collectively, the amassed 76 points.
It further enhanced the Roosters outstanding defensive record this year and with a full team named for this clash, they’ll prove very hard for the Knights to overcome.
Newcastle have named a strong squad as well, particularly in the forwards and it’s this area that they’ll need to be at their best as the Roosters pack, one of the biggest in the competition, has continually laid the foundation for the Rooster’s success this year.
There’re plenty of points in both backlines but surprisingly, in the last three clashes between the two sides, no more than 30 total match points has been produced.
Head to head, these two sides have taken it in turns of winning since round 12, 2007 and come into this game 5 wins apiece.
If that trend is to continue here, Newcastle will prevail however, it’s too hard to tip against the Roosters in their current form.
Expect a hard, physical game that, like the previous three, might end in relatively low total match score.

Sydney Swans vs. Richmond Tigers

We started the round with a great match-up and should finish on a similar note with Richmond making the journey to the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Fourth placed Sydney dominates the betting despite being only one win in front of Richmond on the table who sit in sixth spot.
Sydney have easily accounted for struggling Melbourne, GWS and West Coast in the past three weeks however, the last team they met a side who were inside the eight – Port Adelaide, it was resulted in a loss to the Swans (72 – 54).
They’ll need to be at their best to counter an in-form Tigers side who have won six of their last seven.
Richmond holds a winning 3 – 2 record over Sydney since 2010 but do find it hard to win at the SCG, not having done so in the past six attempts.
Both sides have been strong defensively this year so we can expect another relatively low total point score. In fact the last three games have produced a total of 153, 155 and 140 points.
Sydney hold a distinct advantage over Richmond in Contested Possessions and Tackles, proving that if Richmond are going to be able to break their SCG hoodoo, they’ll need to be hard at the ball and take Sydney on at their own game.

Australia vs China

Australia cannot win the East Asian Cup but will be hoping to dent China's chances of doing so when they meet on Sunday.
The Socceroos were fortunate to escape with a draw against South Korea in their opening game before a 3-2 loss to Japan on Thursday left them bottom of the group.
Australia coach Holger Osieck has taken a squad mostly from the A-League, giving the national team's fringe players a chance to shine and push their claim for a spot at Brazil 2014.
But the performances have been average at best, with the humid conditions in South Korea also making things difficult.
Melbourne Victory midfielder Mitch Nichols impressed off the bench against China and should be given a start in Australia's final game of the tournament.
Osieck has promised to ring the changes, meaning the likes of Craig Goodwin, Trent Sainsbury and Aaron Mooy may all start, along with Nichols.
Attacker Archie Thompson could get another start out wide as he chases Damian Mori's record of 29 goals for Australia.
Thompson and Tim Cahill are locked on 28 each but the New York Red Bulls forward remained with his MLS side in the United States for this tournament.
The Socceroos struggled in their opening game and would have tasted defeat if not for a man-of-the-match display from goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic.
The performance improved against Japan, who surprisingly afforded Australia time and space on the ball.
Defensively, the Socceroos again looked poor, and the final pass in the attacking third was lacking until late in the contest.
The space between the three lines was too great and Australia defended deep against Japan, giving Alberto Zaccheroni's men opportunities to create.
And Australia face a China side who could still win the tournament, sitting second and two points adrift of Japan after two draws – 3-3 against Zaccheroni's side and 0-0 against the hosts.
Jose Antonio Camacho was sacked as China coach in June after a disastrous two-year spell in charge, given his marching orders after his team's 5-1 loss to Thailand in a friendly.
China will be desperate for a win to at least put pressure on group leaders Japan, who take on South Korea at the Jamsil Olympic Stadium afterwards.

St George-Illawarra Dragons vs Canberra Raiders

The St George-Illawarra Dragons will rage against the dying of their season’s light when they take on the Canberra Raiders at WIN Stadium this evening. Join us for live scores and commentary from 5.30pm AEST.
Some streaks seem just about impossible to break, and the Raiders winning record against the Dragons is one that would make the Maroons jealous.
Never mind the famous hoodoo of 11 straight losses endured by St George-Illawarra at Canberra Stadium; even at home, the statistics are damning.
With just one win from the last six games at either Kogarah or Wollongong, the Dragons just cannot seem to get the better of the Raiders.
They’ll have another crack in Round 20, and will do so buoyed by a memorable Golden Point victory over league leaders the Rabbitohs last week.
The Dragons played as well as they have all season in that contest, and if they can carry that form into this week they’ll like their chances of making it two in a row. They’ll have to if they harbour any hopes of a miracle recovery this season.
All eyes will be on Dragons fullback Josh Dugan, whose contract with the Raiders was torn up after the now-infamous Breezer Rebellion earlier this year.
Dugan has been in killer form since being thrown a lifeline by the Dragons, easily their best player – last week against the Rabbitohs alone he managed 18 tackle breaks, two off-loads and 28 runs for 241m. He’ll be key to their chances once again.
For the Raiders part, a decimated backline that has seen them lose the likes of Blake Ferguson, Edrick Lee, Sandor Earl, Jack Wighton and, I suppose, Dugan, has so far not been enough to stymie their chances at finals footy.
They sit in eighth position and have made it there on the back of a perfect home record in 2013, with eight wins from eight home appearances.
The return of Terry Campese after about a million years (or thereabouts) on the sideline has been a godsend to the Raiders.
The maestro-like five-eighth has to his name 12 try assists in as many games, and he runs the show with one of the best kicking and passing games in the NRL.
His combination with Josh McCrone is one of the more polished halves partnerships in the NRL, and this will give the Raiders a significant advantage over the Dragons’ makeshift combo of hooker-by-trade Nathan Fien and 20-year-old rookie Adam Quinlan.
But their away record, as is so often the case with the Raiders, cannot be ignored – with just one win from nine games, it’s about as sketchy as it gets.
So there you have it – a team that never wins away from home, versus a team that never beats the team that never wins away from home. Take your pick.
The Raiders will start favourites, but for mine, I reckon the Red V showed enough last week to suggest they can nab a rare victory over the Green Machine. Look for big games from Dugan and Trent Merrin, as well as a couple of ex-Raiders in Bronson Harrison and Daniel Vidot, who can both be damaging on their day.

Fremantle vs Adelaide Crows

Fremantle suffered a twenty-seven point defeat to Richmond last week at the MCG and the Dockers will be looking forward to returning to Paterson stadium for this clash, a venue where they have won eight of their nine matches this season.
The two sides last met in Round 10 of this year with Fremantle victorious 66 – 59. It was the third match in the past five that the total match score was less than 152 and the first of the past four clashes Fremantle have won.
Fremantle have been in solid form this year, sit fifth on the ladder and will be able to bounce straight back in the winner’s circle here.
As their season record of 7 – 9 would suggest, it’s been a bit of an up and down year for the Crows however, last week’s win over Geelong was definitely an “up”.
The Crows trailed by 24 points at the major break and went even further behind in the third quarter before rallying late to secure a 94 – 92 point win.
The victory sees Adelaide sit within two wins of the eight but, to keep their incredibly slim hopes of a finals berth alive – but they must win here!
The only team that has been able to crack Fremantle at home this year has been Essendon, back in round 3.
Adelaide will have to produce their final quarter effort of last week, for four quarters this week and that’ll be a big ask against the Dockers at home.

Collingwood FC vs GWS Giants

After a tough mid-season period in terms of the draw which saw Collingwood face the likes of Fremantle, Geelong, Sydney and Essendon, the Pies looked set to go on a bit of winning run over the past six weeks as they faced teams placed in the bottom half of the table.
Whilst they have won five of their past seven, the two losses to Port Adelaide and last week, the Gold Coast, have been unexpected and halted their momentum. They have also had punters questioning their credentials for when the finals arrive.
With five regular rounds left after this one Collingwood, who are in seventh spot on the ladder, get the chance to look forward and put the inconsistency of this season behind them.
It’s the first time Collingwood have met GWS and they’ll show no mercy.
GWS, who remain winless this season, got to within four points of the struggling Western Bulldogs three games back but since, have been belted by Sydney and last week Essendon.
It doesn’t get any easier for them here and if Collingwood produce their best, and they should, the line of 86.5 looks within their reach.

Teams:
Collingwood Magpies:

3 Brent Macaffer
5 Nick Maxwell
6 Tyson Goldsack (INT)
8 Heritier O’Brien
10 Scott Pendlebury
11 Jarryd Blair
12 Luke Ball
15 Jarrod Witts
16 Nathan Brown
17 Dayne Beams
19 Jamie Elliott
20 Ben Reid
22 Steele Sidebottom
23 Lachlan Keeffe (INT)
24 Josh Thomas
27 Ben Kennedy (EMG)
28 Ben Sinclair (INT)
32 Travis Cloke
35 Brodie Grundy
36 Dane Swan
37 Kyle Martin (EMG)
39 Heath Shaw
41 Sam Dwyer (INT)
46 Marley Williams
48 Caolan Mooney (EMG)
In: Heritier O’Brien, Nathan Brown, Jarryd Blair, Brodie Grundy
Out: Andrew Krakouer (Omitted) , Ben Hudson (Calf), Paul Seedsman (Calf), Caolan Mooney (Omitted)
New: Brodie Grundy


Greater Western Sydney Giants:
1 Phil Davis
2 Curtly Hampton
4 Toby Greene (INT)
5 Dylan Shiel
6 Lachie Whitfield (EMG)
8 Callan Ward
9 Tom Scully
10 Devon Smith
11 Taylor Adams (INT)
13 Sam Darley (INT)
14 Tomas Bugg
17 Adam Treloar
18Jeremy Cameron
19 Nicholas Haynes
20 Adam Tomlinson
26 Jonathan Giles
28 Liam Sumner (EMG)
33 Will Hoskin-Elliott
38 Stephen Gilham (EMG)
39 Tim Mohr
40 Adam Kennedy (INT)
42 Mark Whiley
47 Joshua Bruce
50 Dean Brogan
51 Zachary Williams
In: Tom Scully, Adam Kennedy
Out: Gerald Ugle (Omitted) ,Lachie Whitfield (Omitted)

Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich

Having been dominated by Dortmund for two years and witnessing their rivals claim back-to-back league titles, Bayern responded in stunning fashion last term. Adapting one of the hallmarks of Dortmund’s game -- fierce pressing -- the Bavarians won a historic treble, including winning the Bundesliga by 25 points and at an earlier stage than any side in history.
Since then, of course, Jupp Heynckes has stepped aside as manager and in his stead has stepped a man who knows all about racking up trophies: Guardiola. With him the Spaniard has brought in his former charge at Barcelona Thiago Alcantara as well as Mario Gotze from Dortmund and defender Jan Kirchhoff to add to a squad already over-spilling with talent.
While it would be unwise to read too much into such things, Guardiola’s reign has begun somewhat ominously for the rest of Europe as he has overseen a 100 percent record in pre-season. In their most recent friendly Bayern triumphed 2-0 over an admittedly weakened Barcelona. The match did highlight, though, some of the tactical and positional versatility that Guardiola is likely to bring to Bayern and that he is perfectly equipped to do so with all the options at his disposal. In the match for the Uli Hoeness  Cup, Franck Ribery was used as a false nine, while captain Philipp Lahm stepped out from his full-back role and occupied a spot in central midfield.
It is a fierce task in store then for Dortmund to reverse the dominance Bayern displayed last season, starting with the Supercup in their own Signal Iduna Park on Saturday. Having been powerless to prevent Gotze heading to Munich, the club has been unrelenting in their insistence that Robert Lewandowski would not be allowed his desired move to Bayern Munich this summer.
At the same time, with the striker free to leave when his contract expires in a year’s time, his replacement has likely already been signed in the shape of Ligue 1’s joint second highest scorer last season, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. And Dortmund have also spent big on former Shakhtar Donetsk attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan to take the place of Gotze. A defense that lacked depth has also been boosted with the arrival of Greece international Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Werder Bremen.
The additions should mean that Dortmund are better able to rotate their side and keep players fresh for both the Bundesliga and the Champions League, something which they have been unable to do in the past two seasons. Yet, on Saturday Dortmund are set to be without Mkhitaryan and Lukasz Piszczek possibly as well as Jakub Blaszczykowski and Aubameyang. And with Bayern hitting the ground running, Guardiola may secure some early silverware, potentially with a repeat of the scoreline that Bayern conquered Dortmund by at Wembley as well as in last year’s Supercup.


Probable Lineups:
Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1): Langerak; Großkreutz, Subotić, Hummels, Schmelzer; Bender, Sahin; Hofmann, Gündoğan , Reus - Lewandowski
Bayern Munich (4-1-4-1): Starke; Rafinha, Boateng, Dante, Alaba; Thiago; Lahm, Kroos, Shaqiri, Robben; Müller
Last Meeting:
Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Bayern Munich - İlkay Gündoğan 68'; Mario Mandzukic 60', Arjen Robben 89'

PSG vs Real Madrid

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are set for a high-profile preseason match. The European powers are each looking forward to successful campaigns, and the clash should provide an early measuring stick for both clubs.

The Blancos are coming off a second-place finish in La Liga behind rival Barcelona. Although they weren't able to defend their title, Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. already have their sights set on a return to the top under new manager and former PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti.

PSG captured the Ligue 1 crown with a dominant showing that saw the club finish 12 points clear of its nearest competition. The Parisians will look to build off that success to make a deeper run in the Champions League.

Although the outcome of preseason matches have very little long-term impact, the elite level of competition should help both clubs in their quest for top form. So let's check out all the key information for the match, followed by a preview and prediction.

After Real Madrid started their preseason slate with a predictable drubbing of Bournemouth, they received a much tougher challenge from Lyon. They fell behind 2-0 but were able to fight back to earn a draw—a positive sign this early in the preparation stage.

One interesting thing the Blancos have decided to do is work in most of their stars early. Big names like Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil have seen action right out of the gate as they seek top form before the season gets underway.

A lot of clubs tend to rotate players during the first part of the preseason. But the signs have been good with Real. A couple of solid results out of the gate helped build some confidence and chemistry heading into the match with PSG.

That said, some of the new additions and younger players have also got a chance to shine. Isco, Asier Illarramendi and Alvaro Morata are among the rising stars hoping to make a major impact for the Spanish club sooner rather than later.

These matches are the proving ground for those players. That's especially true when facing off with another elite side like Paris Saint-Germain. If they can capitalize on any chances they get on Saturday, it will bode well moving forward.

On the PSG side, the biggest news of the offseason, at least so far, came last week when the club signed forward Edinson Cavani from Napoli to a five-year deal. It adds another dynamic weapon to an already potent attacking group.

As it stands now, he's set to join Zlatan Ibrahimovic to create a terrific one-two punch for the Parisians. Getting them on the same page is one of the most important tasks between now and the start of the Ligue 1 season next month.

Assuming Cavani's transition is smooth, PSG are in great shape to repeat as champions and make a deep run in the Champions League. It's a talented roster led by superstar defender Thiago Silva and the various attacking options.

Ultimately, the match should feature plenty of chances on both ends as the clubs embrace the preseason atmosphere. It certainly won't be the same type of clash fans would witness in a Champions League knockout stage.

Whichever manager decides to give his stars more playing time will probably pick up the victory. Since Real Madrid have already been trending in that direction, they get a slight edge in what should be an exciting contest.

Valerenga Oslo vs Barcelona

FC Barcelona will take to the field tomorrow at the Ullevall Stadion in Oslo, where they will take on Valerenga in their second friendly of pre-season. Having slipped to a 2-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday against Bayern Munich, Barcelona will be keen to return to winning ways, even if they are still without a string of first-team players. New coach Gerardo Martino was unveiled this afternoon – and will travel to Oslo – but will not be taking charge of the team; instead Rubi and Jordi Roura will lead the team for the second match in succession.

Much like Lechia Gdasnk, Valerenga are currently in the middle of their league campaign and are even scheduled to host Sarpsborg 08 on Monday night, meaning that this pre-season friendly is likely to be fairly low down on their list of priorities. With just 21 points from their 16 matches, Valerenga are currently languishing in mid-table in the Eliteserien – and a loss to Sarpsborg could threaten to drag them perilously close to the relegation zone. While the players will be keen to impress against such illustrious opposition, they’ll also know that the league fixture is their most important match of the weekend.

TEAM NEWS

BARCELONA

Head coach Gerardo Martino is travelling to Oslo, and will watch tomorrow’s match from the stands, but is not expected to have any input on team selection – instead Jordi Roura will once again lead the squad, with Rubi as his assistant. It’s not yet known whether Rubi or Jordi Roura will be staying on at the club once Martino officially takes charge – although reports suggest that Martino is looking to keep one of the two, with rumours inferring that Rubi will be kept on, while Roura will either leave the club, or take on a new role. And if that’s the case, then I’m sure Roura would love to go out on a positive note!

Jose Manuel Pinto will start in goal once again, and after conceding a relatively "soft" goal against Bayern Munich, the veteran Spaniard must have his eyes set on a clean sheet. Valerenga’s attack has mustered just 21 goals in 16 fixtures and their top-scorer Morten Borre has managed just six goals – hardly worrying stuff. Given that Borre is a veteran himself (at 37 years of age), it’s even possible that he’ll sit out a portion of this match, assuming he isn’t capable of playing two full matches over a three-day period. Certainly, I would be targeting a clean sheet if I were in Pinto’s shoes.

Oier Olazábal could play in the second-half, just as he did on Wednesay night; captaining a second-string line-up who more than held their own against Bayern Munich before Mario Mandzukic’s late tap-in. In those 45 minutes, Oier made a couple of good saves – but his future at the club remains a mystery. Will he leave on loan? Stay and fight for the few minutes that he could win off of Pinto? Perhaps leave on a permanent basis? It’s just one of the many decisions that Martino will be forced to make over the coming weeks.

In defense, expect the same back-line that started on Wednesday against Bayern Munich; Martin Montoya will start at right-back, presumably hoping for an easier 45 minutes than his first-half against Franck Ribery. Marc Bartra will start alongside Javier Mascherano in the centre of defense – despite (rumoured) interest from Valencia – and Adriano Correia will complete the back-line after his Man of the Match performance against Bayern at the Allianz Arena.

Alex Song will start at pivote – and I was relatively disappointed with his performance on Wednesday, as the Cameroonian midfielder struggled to make his presence known against the Bayern midfield. Defensively, he contributed a fair amount – but I was hoping for a bigger "impact" from the former Arsenal star. Instead, he looked a little lost at times, although hopefully that was down to a lack of match practice rather than a lack of understanding of his role in the starting XI.

Song will be joined in midfield by Sergi Roberto, who impressed many with his hard-working display on Wednesday. In fact, in a poll on the website for Catalan newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, Sergi Roberto was voted as Barcelona’s "MVP" for the match – testament to his efforts in the centre of the park. If he can follow that up with a good performance tomorrow, maybe Roberto will be able to impress new coach Gerardo Martino, possibly earning himself some more minutes, or at least some favour with the new boss?

Similarly, Jonathan dos Santos will be looking to make an impression on Martino as well, particularly after he confessed that JDS was "part of his plans" at the club. Widely expected to leave the club on loan, dos Santos now has a chance to force himself into the first-team picture, possibly earning his own share of the minutes that Thiago would have otherwise played. And being honest, he deserves it too; JDS stuck around despite a lack of minutes, and now looks set to benefit – hopefully he will be able to finally make a name for himself with the first-team, unlike his brother Giovani who has effectively wandered around Europe searching for a "second chance" after leaving Barcelona a few years ago looking for first-team football.

In attack, Lionel Messi will certainly start again, and is expected to captain the side as well, just as he did on Wednesday against Bayern. Leading by example, Messi nearly opened the scoring that night with less than a minute on the clock; before drifting out of the game thanks to a disciplined and efficient Bayern display. Ideally, he will be searching for his first goal of pre-season, and few would back against Messi from delivering, particularly against a Valerenga defense that boasts one of the worst records in the Norwegian top division.

Cristian Tello and Alexis Sánchez will probably start in support of Messi, and Alexis is in desperate need of a good performance – I thought he was practically anonymous against Bayern Munich, aside from his one cross, which was nearly inadvertently converted by Rafinha. If he wishes to secure his place in the first-team ahead of Pedro, he’s going to have to deliver, especially against opposition like Valerenga. Tello on the other hand is in a bit of tricky situation – no matter how well he plays, he’s unlikely to displace Neymar – but would a string of good performances move him into contention for the remaining offensive spot – even if it is likely to be on the right?

I’m sure I’m not the only one who would be intrigued by a Tello-Neymar-Messi frontline...

VALERENGA

It’s been two weeks exactly since Valerenga last took to the field, and as a result of that extended break, they enter tomorrow’s break with a strong, 22-man squad – with 30 year-old midfielder (and captain) Christian Grindheim the only absentee, as he misses out through injury. Newcomer Nicolai Høgh has made the cut, after joining from Danish highfliers, Esbjerb fB and Daniel Braaten could also feature. The former Toulouse and Bolton Wanderers winger has been training with Valerenga in recent weeks, and presumably will be looking to earn himself a permanent contract with the club. The full squad is listed below, and Valerenga manager Kjetil Rekdal has admitted that each member of the squad is likely to see some playing time.

Sunderland vs Manchester City

Sunderland will take on Manchester City in the final of the 2013 Barclays Asia Trophy this afternoon.
The Black Cats defeated fellow Premier League side Tottenham 3-1 in Wednesday’s semi-final.
Spurs took the lead through a Sigurdsson goal on 28 minutes, but was pegged back with an equaliser from Cabral before half time.
West Brown and David Moberg Karlsson netted Sunderland’s other two goals in the second half, booking themselves a place into today’s final.
A first-half header from Edin Dzeko was enough to see Manchester City over come South China 1-0.

Paolo Di Canio leads his side into battle this afternoon against Manuel Pellegrini and his new-look Manchester City side for the prestigious *snort* Barclays Asia Trophy.
Having overcome Tottenham Hotspur in some in some horrendous circumstances, things look as though they're going to be even worse today with the rain continuing to pour in Hong Kong this week.
The key focus will be on fitness and not letting anyone succome to injury as Jan Vertonghen did during our 3-1 win over the North London side on Wednesday.
The game itself however should be a great test for Sunderland to see whether that win was really the dawning of a new era or not, and send out another long-distance message to other teams watching at home this weekend.
It's a perfectly winnable game too. We've a decent record against City in recent years, and with them struggling to overcome South China midweek and putting in some pretty abysmal performances on a recent tour of South Africa, they're there for the taking.

HBO Boxing

Zou Shiming vs. Jesus Ortega, 6 rounds, flyweight
Evgeny Gradovich vs. Mauricio Munoz, 12 rounds, featherweight
Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Milan Melindo, 12 rounds, flyweight
Andy Ruiz vs. Joe Hanks, 10 rounds, heavyweight
Genesis Servania vs. Konosuke Tomiyama, 10 rounds, junior featherweight
Rex Tso vs. Rusalee Samor, 4 or 6 rounds, junior bantamweight
Dave Penalosa vs. Ngaotawa Sithsaithong, 6 rounds, junior featherweight



This weekend's Zou Shiming vs. Jesus Ortega HBO2 headliner is an interesting fight primarily for its position in a larger story. That story: the (possible) rise of Zou Shiming. Shiming's accomplishments are well documented - three time Olympic medalist, two of them Gold, multiple titles in a host of other events, and now an undefeated 1-0 as a pro. There are obviously high hopes for him, from HBO, from Top Rank, and from the entire country of China. The questions is, can he meet those lofty expectations?
Can Zou Shiming become the champion many expect and want him to become, or will he be another in the long line of great amateurs who sputtered out at the professional level?

We're unlikely to get a clear cut answer to this question on Saturday, though if Ortega crushes him, it will be a strong mark in the "washout" column. Shiming is currently a work in progress. He's the rare fighter where his entire professional career will be competed under a microscope. We've seen him make a solid though not spectacular pro debut earlier this year, and now we'll see what he brings to the table in his second fight. Will he bring enough to become a champion? Time will tell, but if a hall of fame pro career is in the cards for him, he'll need to show two things against Ortega:
1. Focus. Freddie Roach has already called Shiming out on this, saying that he needs to focus and elevate his game for this fight. Roach wants to see less grandstanding and showboating, more committed boxing. I agree to an extent - Anderson Silva showed us what too much showboating can do to you - but at the same time, a hint of that showmanship is part of what makes a fighter a star. What Shiming does need to avoid however is buying into his hype and looking past Ortega. This is a fight designed for a Shiming victory, but if Shiming sees it that way and loses focus on the fight ahead of him, that could fall apart.
2. Power. If there is one element that drags down successful amateurs turned pro, it's this. The amateur game, including the Olympics, is so based on points that KOs are a rarity. For Shiming to be successful, he'll need to find the KO power that he didn't need in the Olympics. If he can't figure out how to stop his pro opponents, there will be a ceiling to just how far he can climb in the professional ranks.
This weekend's fight is an exciting chance to see a fighter truly develop. What the future holds for Shiming is uncertain. But if he is to achieve the bright future that possibly lies ahead of him, these two elements - focus and power - will need to be firmly on display Saturday. We'll be watching to see how it all plays out.

Andre Berto vs Jesus Soto Karass

Andre Berto vs. Jesus Soto Karass, 12 rounds, welterweight

Omar Figueroa vs. Nihito Arakawa, 12 rounds, lightweight
Diego Chaves vs. Keith Thurman, 12 rounds, welterweight
Anthony Dirrell vs. Anthony Hanshaw, 10 rounds, super middleweight
Joseph Rodriguez vs. Jessie Anguiano, 4 rounds, junior lightweight
Emanuel Ledezma Felix Piedra, 6 rounds, super middleweight
Jerry Belmontes vs. Andrew Cancio, 10 rounds, junior lightweight
Armando Cardenas vs. Stephan Salazar, 4 rounds, junior welterweight


Both Andre Berto and Jesus Soto-Karass know what it's like to get off to fast starts in terms of a career. Berto won his first 27 fights, capturing a welterweight title belt and notching five defenses before suffering his first loss while Soto-Karass won his first nine fights -- all by KO -- before a draw blemished his perfect record.

While most of the attention for tonight's main event on Showtime will be focused on the restructuring of Andre Berto's psyche following his decision loss to Robert Guerrero last fall, his opponent is a hungry lion who knows it may be one of his final opportunities to break through. Jesus Soto-Karass is a 30 year-old veteran who never disappoints fans and always makes his opponent have to work all night if they want to achieve victory against the sometimes wild-swinging welterweight.

In a phone interview with Boxing Scene, Soto-Karass acknowledges that he desires to leave the fans begging for more, but also admits that he may need to fight more intelligently in order to pull out a "W" against an opponent of the caliber of Berto. The underdog for tonight's main event, he also claims that he is motivated by those who pick against him.



Another part of a boxer's experience is picking oneself off the floor -- literally and in terms of career path -- and marching onward. Berto's record is mixed here; he's 1-2 in his last three fights and in each of the two losses he suffered two knockdowns, but he got up and gave his tormentors -- Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero -- plenty of hell before dropping the decision. As for Soto-Karass he has incurred eight defeats and three draws yet still keeps coming with full force, win or lose.

Ironically it is Soto-Karass, often placed on the B-side of cards, that is coming into this fight off a big win, a 10-round decision over Selcuk Aydin, while it is Berto, the perennial A-side, who looks to rebound. The styles suggest an excellent scrap but will the action live up to the hype? And who will end up victorious? The final result literally lays in each man's hands but there are statistical factors that may determine the outcome:

Accuracy Over Activity: When faced with aggressors like Ortiz and Guerrero, Berto is forced to be reactive more than proactive in terms of output (40 per round vs. "Vicious Victor" and 34.2 per round vs. "The Ghost," far below the 58.2 welterweight average). That allowed Ortiz and Guerrero to accumulate big connect advantages (281-147 overall and 266-115 power vs. Ortiz and 258-182 overall and 234-162 power vs. Guerrero) and come away with decision victories. That's good news for Soto-Karass, who remains one of the sport's most aggressive volume-punchers 12 years into a punch-soaked career.

Berto uses excellent accuracy to compensate for his sparse activity. He landed 31% of his total punches and 46% of his power shots against Ortiz, scoring a sixth round knockdown in the process, while against Guerrero he connected on 44% of his total punches and 50% of his power shots, the latter of which is usually an indicator of victory. But like Mikkel Kessler, who landed 55% of his power shots against Carl Froch, one must also accompany extreme accuracy with enough volume along the way to win rounds and counterbalance his opponent's less precise volume punching and neither "The Viking Warrior" nor Berto fulfilled that part of the equation. If Berto wants to beat Soto-Karass by using his standard formula, he must lift his per-round output into the 50s -- at least -- to give himself his best chance.  Guerrero, Zaveck & Ortiz combined to land 42% of their power shots vs. Berto

Bringing the Heat: Soto-Karass may win and Soto-Karass may lose but one element always remains the same -- he comes at his opponents with never-ending pressure. In 10 CompuBox-tracked fights since 2008-2012, Soto-Karass averaged 88.2 punches per round, of which 52.3 -- or 59.3% -- were power punches. The typical welterweight throws 58.2 per round, of which 33.7 (57.9%) are power shots. Soto-Karass is not an accurate puncher, for he lands 27% overall, 18% jabs and 33% power, well below the divisional norms of 32%, 23% and 39%. However, when it works well, the Jason Pollack splatter-art approach works very well indeed.

Against Aydin, Soto-Karass fired 95 punches per round and his attack was impressively balanced as he mixed in 452 jabs with his 498 power shots. In all, Soto-Karass out-landed Aydin 215-157 (total), 73-34 (jabs) and 142-123 (power). He didn't land a high percentage (23% overall, 16% jabs, 29% power) but Aydin's relative lack of activity (52.3 per round) wasn't enough to compensate for his superior precision.

Speaking of an opponent's precision, Soto-Karass' main problem is defense -- it's sieve-like. In the 10 CompuBox-tracked fights previously mentioned, Soto-Karass dished out a lot but took a lot in return: Of his opponents' 65.4 punches per round, 37% of their total shots connected, as did 28% of their jabs and 44% of their power shots. One CompuBox rule of thumb is that if a fighter absorbs 40% or more of their opponents' hardest punches, that should raise a red flag defensively and the farther north of 40% a fighter takes, the worse it gets. Maidana landed 40% overall and 48% of his power shots while Gabriel Rosado scored with 44% overall and 53% power. Even in beating Aydin, Soto-Karass absorbed more than his fair share -- 30% overall and 46% power. That trend also unfolded in other victories against Edvan Dos Santos Barros (43% overall, 34% jabs, 46% power) and common opponent David Estrada (35% overall, 43% power) That can't be ignored and given Berto's sharp-shooting it may well be decisive.


Prediction: This is a difficult fight to call because each man's strengths dovetails into his opponent's weaknesses. Berto is vulnerable against volume-punchers who never stop coming while Soto-Karass' sub-par defense will accentuate Berto's precision attack. One would think Berto would be a solid favorite given these facts but another variable throws that into question -- Berto's inactivity. This is only his second fight since September 2011 and Berto's effectiveness is reliant on his timing. Plus, he's on a career-worse slide in terms of record so how confident will he be walking into the ring?

The guess here is that this will be a tough, compelling match but Berto's superior class and technique will eventually rise to the top. Berto by decision.

UFC on FOX 8 Johnson vs Moraga

MAIN CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)

    * Champ Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga - for UFC flyweight title
    * Jake Ellenberger vs. Rory MacDonald
    * Robbie Lawler vs. Bobby Voelker
    * Jessica Andrade vs. Liz Carmouche

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 5 p.m. ET)

    * Michael Chiesa vs. Jorge Masvidal
    * Danny Castillo vs. Tim Means
    * Mac Danzig vs. Melvin Guillard
    * Daron Cruickshank vs. Yves Edwards
    * Ed Herman vs. Trevor Smith
    * Germaine de Randamie vs. Julie Kedzie


If John Moraga's goal is to cut off the cage and force the fleet-footed Demetrious Johnson to fight, he'll need to add speed to his power in order to make that happen.

Of those two oft-spoken qualities that divide opponents, UFC flyweight champ Johnson (17-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) possesses the edge in ability to strike, retreat and switch directions, which leaves title challenger Morgaga (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) with the task of catching his foe at UFC on FOX 8, which takes place Saturday at Seattle's KeyArena. The event's main card airs live on FOX (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) following prelims on FX (5 p.m. ET) and Facebook (4 p.m. ET).

Johnson, a former bantamweight title challenger, attempts the second defense of the flyweight title he won this past September with a decision win over Joseph Benavidez. The lesser-experienced Moraga, meanwhile, takes a steep step up in competition after two wins inside the UFC octagon.

The two share a common opponent in John Dodson, who handed the 29-year-old challenger his first professional loss at an ill-fated event in the Dominican Republic in 2010. Meanwhile, Johnson, 26, surmounted his toughest flyweight test to date by overcoming several knockdowns from "The Ultimate Fighter 14" winner to win a unanimous decision in January at UFC on FOX 6.

The difference-maker in that fight was not only Johnson's endurance, which surged in later rounds as his opponent's flagged, but his ability to transition from striking to clinching to grappling. And that could provide a blueprint to the action contained in Saturday's fight.

Or, the heavy-handed Moraga could finish the job that Dodson couldn't if he's able to land the power shots he favors over his opponent's rapid-fire combinations.

In the buildup to the fight, the challenger has claimed the champ runs to avoid fistic conflict. But in reality, it's that Johnson doesn't provide a stationary target to hit. In the limited stats available for a side-by-side comparison of the fighters, they're virtually equal in such things as striking accuracy (50 percent for Johnson to Moraga's 44 percent) and striking defense (66 percent for Johnson to Moraga's 67 percent). They diverge, however, in strikes absorbed, with Moraga absorbing significantly more blows than Johnson (3.68 to 1.97).

That means that more often than not, Johnson sticks and moves while Moraga marches in and looks to trade.

Looking at early footage of Moraga compared to his work in the UFC, his punches have gotten straighter while his defense is tighter. But more often than not, he strikes with bad intentions. But that could leave him open to quick counters from the champ as well as tire him out the later the fight goes.

That power might come in handy if he intends to use his NCAA Division I collegiate wrestling skills to put Johnson on the ground and grind out a decision, but in all likelihood, the fight won't spend too much time in one place. None of Johnson's fights thus far has favored one range over another. It's more a constant flurry of movement from one position to another.

Because the flyweight division is the newest and most shallow of those within the UFC, Moraga is getting a shot at the 125-pound belt earlier than he would in other divisions. But he's facing a far more experienced opponent on Saturday, and thus, he needs to catch a break early in the fight to break the champ's furious rhythm.

Other main-card bouts

Jake Ellenberger (29-6 MMA, 8-2 UFC) vs. Rory MacDonald (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC): The mostly saccharine buildup to the main event thankfully has been offset by a lively interplay between welterweights Ellenberger and MacDonald, who could follow Johny Hendricks on the road to champ Georges St-Pierre. The two have gone back and forth on Twitter, though their initial friction has dissipated as Saturday's event has drawn near. Ellenberger, whose six-fight win streak was interrupted by Martin Kampmann, might have cut in line for the title if not for a shakeup at UFC 158. Slated to fight Hendricks, he instead fought Nate Marquardt when MacDonald withdrew from a bout with "Big Rigg," who went on to beat Carlos Condit and secure a title shot. Rebounding with back-to-back wins, Ellenberger now gets a chance to secure the No. 1 contender spot by beating MacDonald, who, despite his stated refusal to fight St-Pierre, is in the running for the title. It's the most relevant challenge of MacDonald's career after a one-sided beatdown of the expiring B.J. Penn this past December, and it should measure whether he's truly ready to face championship-caliber talent. Ellenberger, meanwhile, is faced with the challenge of not letting his ambition get the best of him, as he did against Kampmann, whom he admits he underestimated. He very well may have the advantage in punching power and wrestling, though MacDonald is skilled at blending all of his skills together in the octagon. Expect "Fight of the Night" action.

Robbie Lawler (20-9 MMA, 5-3 UFC) vs. Bobby Voelker (24-9 MMA, 0-1 UFC): The fight represents the third option exercised by the UFC when former Strikeforce champ Tarec Saffiedine was injured prior to booking a date with Lawler, and replacement opponent Siyar Bahadurzada also fell by the wayside. Voelker, a Strikeforce veteran, lost a dubious decision to Patrick Cote in his octagon debut at UFC 158, and he's got nothing to lose against the hard-swinging Lawler. With the prestige of his opponents dwindling, Lawler is merely looking to maintain his momentum following a recent knockout of Josh Koscheck in his first UFC fight in nine years. They've got a similar number of fights, but they're an ocean apart in experience in pedigree. While possessing heavy hands, Voelker just isn't as seasoned as Lawler, who's got some of the hardest punches in the business and owns a list of high-profile knockouts. But then again, such a matchup could be ripe for an upset in the topsy-turvy world of MMA.

Liz Carmouche (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs. Jessica Andrade (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC): This bantamweight fight holds significance not just for being an injury replacement fight, but the first to feature two openly gay women in the octagon. Carmouche was slated to fight Miesha Tate before an injury to Cat Zingano brought her a coaching spot and title shot against champ Ronda Rousey, who submitted Carmouche in February. That gives the young and well-rounded Andrade the chance to make a big splash if she can manage the pressure of first-time octagon jitters.

Chiefs vs Crusaders

LAST TIME: Chiefs 15 lost to Crusaders 43, Round 19, 2013 at AMI Stadium

The Chiefs had concerns at training during the week. Flanker Sam Cane had neck issues while the ice came in handy for hooker Hika Elliott, lock Brodie Retallick, props Ben Tameifuna and Ben Afeaki, and Tanerau Latimer. Already missing from the line-up that started the season is utility back Tim Nanai-Williams and three-quarter Richard Kahui. No such reported problems for the Crusaders who are only missing centre Robbie Fruean from their A line-up, the centre having required open heart surgery to miss the end of the campaign.
FORM: Semi-finals always beg the question, after a play-offs elimination when the two highest-placed teams enjoy a week off, about whether it is in the best interests of a side to have a break or to keep playing. That consideration is pushed further with all sides having three weeks off a month before, therefore putting the need for a break before the semi-finals under the spotlight. Whatever the statistics say, the fact is in this instance that the Crusaders unleashed their best form last weekend in the qualifying game while the Chiefs had time to ponder their 26-16 win over the Blues in their last appearance. But what was probably more on their mind was the preceding game when beaten 15-43 in Christchurch by Saturday night's opposition.
The semi-final contest is an intriguing prospect for all manner of reasons. The Chiefs are defending champions and enjoy fantastic home support. They have carried the mantle of defending champions with dignity throughout the competition without quite managing the dominance they achieved last year. Whether that is the result of second season syndrome for coach Dave Rennie or the greater respect received from an opponents will be borne out in time.
The Crusaders have long been heralded as Super Rugby's finest franchise, although it is 2008 since they last held the trophy. But one of the qualities that has served the Crusaders well has been their ability on the road. Of their 10 final appearances, six have been on the road with three of them resulting in victories. It was clear in their final home game to beat the Reds last week they had touched the heights and the question now is whether that was down to a below par opponent.
WE THINK: The winner of this semi-final is likely to be the winner of the Super Rugby title for 2013. The Chiefs need their best effort of the year to put away a Crusaders team on top of its game. But for sheer bloodymindedness it would be hard to go past a Chiefs pack with its dander up. They had their pride dented in the last encounter and have had time to ponder that result. By the same token the Crusaders can reflect on the 19-28 loss they suffered when they last visited Hamilton. It has all the hallmarks of a classic contest with two of the game's best playmakers of the moment, Dan Carter for the Crusaders and Aaron Cruden for the Chiefs, calling the shots. Whoever gets the best service is likely to dictate the outcome.

Gold Coast Titans vs Souths Rabbitohs

Gold Coast slumped to their third heavy loss in as many matches last week when beaten by Manly 38 – 20.
Manly’s tally took the points conceded by Gold Coast in these three losses to 124 points!
On the upside for the Titans is that they return home for the first time in two weeks and where they’ve won six of their eight games this year.
They also welcome back Origin players Nate Myles and Greg Bird who weren’t named in last week’s side against Manly.
South Sydney suffered their third loss of the year when, despite leading 18 – 6 with ten minutes to go were taken to and then defeated in, Golden Point time by St. George on Monday night.
Critics were quick to point to the fact that Greg Inglis was missing form the South line-up but think it was more a lapse of concentration (they did lead for 70mins) and that Souths, who have won their last three games over the Gold Coast, will be out to put last week quickly behind them.
Gold Coast have a lot of ground to make up on their performances over the last month and whilst the return of key players and to their home ground will see an improved efforts, sticking with Souths Sydney.

Urawa Red Diamonds vs Arsenal

Arsenal will look to complete an undefeated Asia tour with one more friendly against Urawa Red Diamonds.

So far this preseason, the English club has already defeated the Indonesia Dream Team, Vietnam and Nagoya Grampus by a combined score of 17-2. The squad will look to keep that strong play going with a matchup against one of the top clubs in the J-League.

With less than a month remaining until the start of the Premier League, it will be important to fix any remaining problems before the matches start to count.

After scoring on a penalty shot against Nagoya Grampus in the last match, it would not be surprising to see Ryo Miyaichi get some more playing time in this one.

The Japanese native spent last season with Wigan Athletic on loan and is probably still a few years from being a regular contributor on the roster, but the 20-year-old winger shows plenty of potential with his play.

In yet another match against a Japanese opponent, Ryo should get a warm reception from the home crowd as he looks to make some more big plays for his club. If he does keep up the strong play, there could be more appearances ahead for the young player.

The Brazilian forward came over from fellow Japanese club Albirex Niigata a couple of years prior and  has continued to be a strong offensive force for the Reds.

Márcio Richardes has a knack for being in the right place at the right time in front of the net, and he is a strong finisher when he has a chance to score.

Arsenal better know where he is on the pitch at all times; otherwise, it will be tough to keep Urawa off the scoreboard.

While Arsenal will not be able to score seven goals in the match, like they did in the first couple of preseason appearances, Urawa will not be able to stop the attack from putting a number of goals on the board.

Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott should be able to continue their strong play on this Asian tour with more goals, while Jack Wilshere will also look to make an impact on the offensive end.

The Red Diamonds have the talent to get at least one goal, but this matchup will never really be in doubt and Arsenal will remain undefeated in the preseason.

Cerezo Osaka vs Manchester United

Manchester United face Shinji Kagawa’s old team tomorrow, Cerezo Osaka. The Japanese playmaker spent four years at the club, scoring 57 goals in 127 appearances before leaving for Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2010. Kagawa is still one of the stars of Japan, a player they love, much like David Beckham in England. This match will be another tough one for United with the temperatures expected to reach 34 degrees celsius tomorrow, it will be a match that will push the aqua to its limit.

The last match in Yokohama resulted in a 3-2 loss for United, the second loss of the tour, but negativity aside, these training matches are to bring match fitness to the squad ahead of the coming season. The competitive matches start in just over two weeks with the curtain raiser of the new season, the FA Community Shield against Wigan Athletic at Wembley.

David Moyes has near enough his full squad for the match tomorrow, with only Michael Carrick likely to miss out due to a ‘tight groin’, but he could play in Hong Kong against Kitchee FC on Monday. The gaffer was given a boost back home as Nemanja Vidic, Antonio Valencia and Nani played in a training match the the club’s AON Training Complex in Carrington. Wayne Rooney was also starting to train fully with his return to the side likely to be against AIK Fotboll on the 6th August.

Manchester United Squad:

Manager: David Moyes

Goalkeepers: David De Gea, Anders Lindegaard, Ben Amos;

Defenders: Rafael da Silva, Phil Jones, Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, Patrice Evra, Alexander Büttner, Fabio da Silva, Chris Smalling, Michael Keane;

Midfielders: Michael Carrick, Anderson, Tom Cleverley, Ryan Giggs, Ashley Young, Shinji Kagawa, Wilfried Zaha, Jesse Lingard, Adnan Januzaj;

Forwards: Robin van Persie, Danny Welbeck

Cerezo Osaka Squad:

Coach: Levir Culpi

Goalkeepers: Yohei Takeda, Kim Jin-Hyeon, Gu Sung-Yun;

Defenders: Takahiro Ogihara, Teruyuki Moniwa, Kota Fujimoto, Toru Araiba, Tatasuya Yamashita, Kenta Mukuhara;

Midfielders: Hotaru Yamaguchi, Yoichiro Kakitani, Jumpei Kusukami, Yusuke Maruhashi, Takamitsu Yoshino, Takuma Edamura, Noriyuki Sakemoto, Tomonobu Yokoyama, Masato Kurogi, Daichi Akiyama, Shota Inoue, Daiki Kogure, Fàbio Simplício, Branquinho, Takeru Okada;

Forwards: Edno, Ryūji Bando, Takumi Minamino, Kenyu Sugimoto, Ryo Nagai

Indonesia vs Chelsea

Chelsea has handled its business in its first two games of an Asian tour, defeating Singha All-Stars and Malaysian XI by a combined scored of 5-1. Now, the team turns its attention to the BNI Indonesia All-Stars.

While the actual result should be a foregone conclusion in Chelsea's favor, there will be plenty of reasons to watch the Blues in action. Let's preview this preseason friendly.

Jose Mourinho will take charge of Chelsea in the final match of the Asian leg of their pre-season tour, and the third since the 'Special One's' return to Stamford Bridge.

The Blues' warm-up matches have gone well, kicking off with a 1-0 win over the Singha All-Stars before beating a Malaysia XI 4-1 last week.

They take on the BNI Indonesia All-Stars with a chance to make it three out of three before jetting off to the States, and Sportsmail will have all the action live, including updates from our reporter in Jakarta, Matt Barlow.

Chelsea may only be in its preseason form, but Jose Mourinho's mind games are already in midseason form.

In this week's edition of "Jose's Thoughts," the new (and old) Chelsea manager turned his focus to Manuel Pellegrini and Manchester City, saying the Citizens should be the Premier League favorites this season.

Perhaps, the most interesting thing to watch this summer—and this season, for that matter—will be who wins the striker battle, with Romelu Lukaku, Demba Ba and Fernando Torres all available. If Wayne Rooney doesn't make the switch to Chelsea as has been rumoured, as discussed recently by Dominic Fifield of The Guardian, the center-forward position will be out there for the taking.

Lukaku scored 17 goals for West Brom last season and has plenty of motivation to have a big year for Chelsea, both trying to earn a starting gig with club and country, as Christian Benteke also plays for Belgium.

He won't start for Chelsea in this game, as Ba will get the nod, but expect Lukaku to see the pitch at some point.

He's already looked good during this preseason tour, with two goals and two assists in Chelsea's first two games. He very well could be Chelsea's answer at the forward position, a pretty big question for all of last season.

Well, if that Rooney fellow doesn't make the switch to Stamford Bridge, that is.

Several of Chelsea's youngsters looking to solidify a more consistent role on the first team will be on display, including Victor Moses and Josh McEachran. As well, 17-year-old Bertrand Traore turned a few heads after scoring against Malaysian XI.

It will be interesting to see if Frank Lampard will return from injury and play on Thursday, while all eyes will continue to rest on the team's top signing from this summer, forward Andre Schurrle. Can he earn one of the three forward spots behind the central striker?

For that matter, can Kevin de Bruyne—who was sent home with an injury after the last game—or will Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar remain the incumbents?

The latter two players aren't on this tour, but they'll be hard to unseat. There are spots to be won for Chelsea this year, and playing well on this tour won't hurt anyone's chances. That's for sure.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Sunderland

Tottenham Hotspur have played two preseason games already this summer, but their preparation for the new season really gets underway in earnest on Wednesday. Spurs play the first of two Barclays Asia Trophy games against Sunderland, then will play in either the final or third place game depending on the result.

All of the players who were given the first week of training off because of international commitments are back in the team, while Sandro and Younes Kaboul have recovered from their injuries to the point where they're back in full training. While they may not get to play on Wednesday, they're in the squad and very well could suit up.

Opposing blog: Roker Report. Sunderland has had a busy transfer window and Roker Report's been all over it. If you have any passing interest in Sunderland, check them out. They don't have a post up on the game as of my posting, but it's worth noting that most of Sunderland's new signings are in their squad: Modibo Diakite, Valentin Roberge, El-Hadji Ba, David Moberg Karlsson, Cabral and Jozy Altidore. Emanuele Giaccherini wasn't in their initial squad, but he's training with them in Hong Kong, so he might play.
Squad

Goalkeepers
Hugo Lloris, Brad Friedel, Heurelho Gomes

Defenders
Kyle Walker, Kyle Naughton, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Jan Vertonghen, Michael Dawson, Steven Caulker, Younes Kaboul, Danny Rose

Midfielders
Aaron Lennon, Andros Townsend, Gareth Bale, Tom Huddlestone, Mousa Dembele, Sandro, Scott Parker, Jake Livermore, Tom Carroll, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Lewis Holtby, Clint Dempsey

Forwards
Jermain Defoe, Emmanuel Adebayor

You may notice that Paulinho and Nacer Chadli aren't in this squad. I assume their debuts will come during the Espanyol friendly after the team returns from Asia in August. Then again, they might just end up suiting up if they're fit and Andre Villas-Boas feels like letting them play. I can't imagine this preseason tournament has strict squad rules. That's not exactly clear. They're with the team, but they weren't in the "announced squad". If Giaccherini is playing, why can't they?

Projected Tottenham Hotspur lineup (4-3-3): Hugo Lloris; Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Jan Vertonghen, Michael Dawson, Kyle Walker; Scott Parker, Mousa Dembele, Lewis Holtby; Clint Dempsey, Emmanuel Adebayor, Andros Townsend

Gareth Bale has already been confirmed as out for this game with an unspecified knock. Aaron Lennon sat out the Colchester game for the same reason, so I'm not picking him in the starting XI. I hope that Younes Kaboul and Sandro get short run-outs, but they're probably not fit to start, though that's pure speculation on my part. This represents what I guess the starting XI would be if there was a competitive match tomorrow. Given that this is preseason, all bets are off and there's a very good chance we could see younger players.

Melbourne Victory vs Liverpool

After successfully beating a hand-selected XI on our first trip to Indonesia, the Reds have touched down ahead of our first ever match in Australia as we continue our pre-season tour. Brendan’s boys will be facing A-League side, Melbourne Victory, on Wednesday morning and will be looking to build upon victories against Preston and the Indonesia XI before we fly back to Asia to complete the tour against the Thailand national side.

While the victory in Indonesia wasn’t as convincing as the one at Deepdale, it was another victory and clean sheet for the Reds. The 2-0 wins saw Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling hit the back of the net for the second friendly running. Hopefully it will continue Down Under.
Former Red, and Champions League winner, Harry Kewell is also a former player for the Melbourne side. But apart from that, I can’t find any links between the two clubs other than arguably their respective nation’s most passionate fans.
Speaking of passionate fans, the Australian Reds will have a difficult time surpassing the support we received out in the Far East on Saturday. The Indonesian fans really were exceptional so the Aussies will have their work cut out. Given their recent sporting failures though, the Lions tour and the current Ashes series, they may make the most of having something to cheer about for once.
Another success on the pitch would keep the momentum going as we grow ever closer to the new season but of course the speculation surrounding our players continues to grow as well. The boss keeps telling us that Luis Suarez is happy here and part of his plans but of course until we know for certain, the cloud of doubt will continue to hover over the Uruguayan’s head. Also on their way out is goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who looks set to join former Reds’ boss Rafa Benitez at Italian side Napoli much to the disappointment of many Liverpool fans – myself included.
Like all pre-season games, this will be more about fitness than results but as I said earlier if we can win to keep the momentum going then it surely can only help Brendan and the boys.

Bayern Munich vs FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona kick-start their pre-season campaign tomorrow, as they prepare to travel to Germany to face Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich in the 2013 Uli Hoeness Cup. Despite appointing Gerardo Martino as their new coach this morning, Barcelona travel to the Allianz Arena without a permanent coach, and will therefore be led by Jordi Roura and Rubi – in what may be their last match with the club.

After the unfortunate resignation of head coach Tito Vilanova, the players were in no fit state to travel to Poland on Saturday, where they would have otherwise started their pre-season against Lechia Gdansk (who last night kicked off their season with a 2-2 draw at home to Podbeskidzie). And as that match will now be played in a week’s time on the 30th, Barça now face the unenviable task of squaring off against the reigning European Champions in their first friendly match of 2013/14.

TEAM NEWS

BARCELONA

Worryingly, that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Barcelona who will not only be in inferior condition to their Bavarian hosts, but will also be without a raft of first-team players who are yet to return to the club after their service at the 2013 Confederations Cup. That means there will be no Xavi, no Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Gerard Piqué, or even Neymar, or Dani Alves – so Lionel Messi and possibly Alexis Sánchez aside, Barça will be without their entire first-choice starting XI, particularly as club captain Carles Puyol continues to miss out through injury.

So, if Barcelona lost by four goals on their last trip to the Allianz Arena with their first-choice XI, what on earth are we in store for tomorrow, when a second-string team attempts to go toe-to-toe with a full-strength Bayern Munich?

If the recent matches between the two sides are anything to go by, it’s going to be a busy night for Jose Manuel Pinto in the Barcelona goal. Starting between the sticks in the absence of Victor Valdés, Pinto enters this pre-season knowing that this may well be his last year with the club, as Barcelona reportedly have deals with both Pepe Reina and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. Certainly, if those two do end up joining the club, there doesn’t appear to be much room for a 38 year-old veteran like Pinto – regardless of his character and popularity in the dressing-room. Yet, there’s a feeling that with Pinto, age is just a number.

Against Malaga last season for instance, Pinto rolled back the years to make a string of incredible saves; it didn’t matter that he was in the twilight of his career, he still had the ability to make a difference, just as he did all those seasons ago with Celta Vigo. If he is on his game tomorrow, maybe Barcelona will stand a chance after all.

After all, the defense doesn’t look that bad. European Under-21 champion Martin Montoya will start at right-back, with fellow European Under-21 champion Marc Bartra alongside him on the right-hand side of defense. Former Argentina captain Javier Mascherano will partner the talented Catalan in the heart of defense, while one of last season’s surprise packages Adriano will complete the back-line, starting at left-back. Sure, it could be better, but as far as four-man defenses go, this is pretty respectable.

With a good blend of talent, experience and technique, this defense would likely be good enough against the vast majority of La Liga teams – and some may even argue that this defense is likely to be a little more "stable" than Barça’s regular back-line.

Rather surprisingly, the real issue for Jordi Roura as he prepares to take one of his former colleagues, Pep Guardiola, is the midfield. Thanks to the Confederations Cup, Barcelona will be without their four best midfielders, and while we’re on the subject of "rankings", the fifth best midfielder has recently left the club to join tomorrow’s opposition. Alex Song at pivote, with Jonathan dos Santos and Sergi Roberto as interiors; it’s a respectable midfield, but compare that to Bayern Munich’s midfield talent (coupled with their manager) and well, it’s looking grim.

Signed for €19 million last summer, Alex Song is the fifth most-expensive signing of the Sandro Rosell reign, but has arguably been the worst of the bunch. It’s not that he’s a bad player – far from it – but he just represents poor value. Just as expectation of Alexis Sánchez, Cesc Fàbregas and now Neymar was and will be dictated by their respective transfer fees, I think we have a right to expect more from Alex Song given the inflated fee we paid for his signature. With a new manager to impress, and a proverbial clean slate, Alex Song has a chance to finally demonstrate why it was that he set us back roughly €20 million, starting with a good performance tomorrow against Pep Guardiola’s Bayern midfield.

Jonathan dos Santos and Sergi Roberto on the other hand didn’t cost the club a dime, and as a result, our expectations are dramatically different. Gauging "public" opinion of Roberto in the aftermath of Thiago’s transfer to Bayern Munich, one of very own editors Luis Mazariegos asked whether there was too much, or too little pressure on young Sergi Roberto; and the general consensus was that Sergi will make an excellent squad member. It seems that Culés know that a player of his experience is not going to "dominate" against a team like Bayern – with tomorrow being no exception. JDS is expected to leave on loan this summer, and so, unlike Alex Song, this match is a "bonus" for the two talented midfielders. There’s no pressure, no expectations; just a chance to catch the eye. Nothing to lose, everything to gain; let’s see whether they’ll surprise us.

On the flip side, such an inexperienced midfield is likely to not only influence whether or not Barça can control possession, but it’s also likely to impact on our offensive capabilities as well. Without Xavi, without Busquets and without Iniesta, the onus is going to be on Lionel Messi to drop a little deeper than even he is used to, in an attempt to provide that spark the Barça midfield desperately needs in each match. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the deeper Messi drops, the further away from goal he gets, and Pep Guardiola of all people will know that the further Messi is from goal, the less likely he is to truly impact (decide?) the game.

Each step closer to the half-way line is also likely to be one step closer to what could and perhaps should be a compact Bayern midfield. Granted, they are missing Javi Martinez, but Guardiola may still opt for a 4-2-3-1, or at least a double-pivot of some sort. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos? Luiz Gustavo and Thiago? With Guardiola, anything is possible – and regardless of which of these two options is more probable, Messi must be relishing tomorrow’s match.

While he started the first-leg at the Allianz Arena, Messi was far from 100%, and as a result, he struggled to exert any sort of influence on the game. Sure, we can praise Schweinsteiger and Martinez for their efforts, but even against a fatigued Barcelona attack, the pairing still committed an incredible nine fouls between them – that’s just one less than the entire Barcelona team. With a lot more fitness, who knows what Messi could do against a Martinez-less Bayern midfield?

With a couple of athletic (read: quick) partners in Alexis Sánchez and Cristian Tello, Messi may feel as though he has better support this time round, or at least a supporting cast that is a little more likely to trouble the Bayern defense. And if the Bayern defense has to keep an eye on both Tello and Sánchez, that’s one, or perhaps more accurately, two less "problems" that Messi will have to deal with.

Similarly, a fully fit Messi is also good news for Cristian Tello, and more pertinently Alexis Sánchez, who also struggled to make an impact in that UEFA Champions League semi-final clash with the Bundesliga champions. But, what may be more promising for the two wingers is Barcelona’s midfield – as Barça’s "greatest" weakness could also be one of their greatest strengths.

While it wouldn’t be a shock to see Barcelona emerge victorious in the "possession" battle, it’s at least likely that the Blaugrana will not have the vast swathes of it that they usually do. No more "sterile possession" for the sake of keeping the ball; Barcelona will have to make the most of every opportunity they get; move the ball quickly, efficiently – try to beat Bayern Munich at their own game. Push the tempo, press when possible; anything they can do to take the game to Guardiola and Bayern needs to be done.

Don’t be afraid to play the killer pass, trust the defense and above all else, trust in yourselves; that’s the message I would convey to the Barça squad. This match may be "friendly" by name, but that doesn’t mean we should play it safe, regardless of the opposition.

BAYERN MUNICH

With six pre-season fixtures under their belt, Bayern Munich have scored an outstanding 35 goals, and conceded just once – in the weekend’s 5-1 Telekom Cup victory over Borussia Monchengladbach. In this 60 minute encounter, the reigning Bundesliga and European champions experimented with a new system, featuring captain Philipp Lahm in midfield and still won convincingly. At the moment, Bayern Munich, and Pep Guardiola can do no wrong. Four defenders, three defenders; three midfielders, six midfielders – none of it really makes a difference, as Bayern continue to cruise to victory regardless of formations and tactics.

However, they are unlikely to have it all their own way tomorrow when they host Barcelona. With the German Super Cup looming, Guardiola will probably forget about experimentations, and attempt to run a sort of "dress-rehearsal" for Saturday’s match against Borussia Dortmund. Getting back to basics if you will; whether that’s a 4-1-4-1, or a 4-2-3-1, or something else entirely.

Manuel Neuer hasn’t featured in three of Bayern’s last four friendly fixtures; but expect to see him start tomorrow – at least for the first-half – with what’s likely to be a strong Bayern defense. After starting in midfield on Sunday, one suspects that Philipp Lahm will find his way back to the right-hand side of defense, while Dante could make his first start under Guardiola in the centre of defense. Jerome Boateng, Daniel Van Buyten and Jan Kirchhoff are also contenders for a starting berth, with David Alaba and Diego Contento each likely to see game-time at left-back.

Bastian Schweinsteiger will almost certainly miss this match as Guardiola is keen to keep his midfield general injury-free for the start of the season, while Javi Martinez has not yet played a single minute under Pep, something that’s unlikely to change tomorrow. Luiz Gustavo is reportedly on his way out of the club, leaving Toni Kroos and Thiago Alcântara the most "likely" midfield pairing for tomorrow’s match. Kroos missed the latter stages of Bayern’s UEFA Champions League triumph, so we didn’t get to see him in action against the Blaugrana, while obviously we know an awful lot about Thiago. Can they function together? Almost certainly, but are they disciplined enough to help out defensively, particularly up against Lionel Messi?

Neither Thiago nor Kroos made his name as a Makelele-esque midfield destroyer anyway; something that Messi will be keen to exploit. Although be that as it may, Guardiola will probably have numbers on his side, as Thiago and Kroos could be joined in midfield by Thomas Müller, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. Maybe Lahm will be used in midfield after all? You never quite know with Pep, but on paper at least, there should be space for Barcelona to thrive, just as long as they can keep the ball away from Munich’s suffocating high-press.

After toying with a "strikerless" formation, expect Guardiola to restore the hard-working Mario Mandzukic to the starting line-up, unless he really wants to pack the midfield.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona: N/A

Bayern Munich: WWWWWW

LAST MEETING

FC Barcelona 0-3 Bayern Munich – 1st May 2013 – UEFA Champions League Semi-Final

Bayern Munich booked their place at Wembley with another convincing win over the Blaugrana, as second-half goals from Arjen Robben, Gerard Piqué (OG) and Thomas Müller secured an emphatic 7-0 aggregate win for the Bavarians.

LIKELY LINE-UPS

First-half

Barcelona (4-3-3): Pinto; Montoya, Bartra, Mascherano, Adriano; Song, JDS, Roberto; Alexis, Messi, Tello

Second-half

Barcelona (4-3-3): Oier; Patric, Sergi Gomez, Mascherano, Planas; Samper, Ilie, Espinosa; Nieto, Dongou, Roman

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Lahm, Van Buyten, Dante, Alaba; Thiago, Kroos; Robben, Müller, Ribery; Mandzukic

MATCH PREDICTION

Barcelona have only just started pre-season, are without the majority of their starting XI, and don’t even have a permanent manager to lead them out at the Allianz, against a Bayern side that’s continuing to dominate all-comers under our best-ever coach, Pep Guardiola. There appears to be no way that Barcelona will win, but this is only a friendly after all; the result is irrelevant. Still, I’ll predict a close first-half (possibly finishing 1-1) and depending on the scale of each team’s substitutions, I can see Bayern running away with it in the second-half. 3-1 Bayern.