Top 5 pre-season friendlies to watch
With major international tournaments like Euro 2020 and Copa America behind us, we're already in pre-season, awaiting the new club season.
However, the games are still at least three weeks away, and it may feel like a long time for football fans to pass.
Worry not, your favorite sides will be in action in a few pre-season games before the 2021/22 campaign officially kicks off.
If you're wondering which of the following games you should be watching, we've compiled a list of the top five enticing clashes you need to keep an eye on. Without further ado, let's get to it.
#5 AC Milan vs Real Madrid - 8th August
Even though Real Madrid and AC Milan haven't met in the Champions League for almost a decade now, the sides have often played each other in pre-season.
Yet, it's always fun to watch this fixture, given their historic rivalry and many accomplishments in Europe.
This year, Madrid and Milan will meet at the Wörthersee Stadion in Austria for the friendly, just about a week before the start of the new La Liga season.
So you can expect the Whites to be at full-strength, although by then the Rossoneri would have also played three more friendlies and have most of their key players back.
#4 Chelsea vs Arsenal - 1st August (Mind Series)
Arsenal's latest pair of pre-season friendlies are against their city rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. Both will be played in London as part of the Mind Series exhibition tournament to raise funds to support mental health.
They'll start the campaign at home to the reigning European champions, who've lost their last three official games against the Gunners, their worst record in this fixture in almost two decades.
While this is only a friendly match, a sense of rivalry will inevitably pervade the Emirates Stadium, where the derby is held. So regardless of the strength of the squads, it could make for an interesting watch.