Preparations ahead of the start of the new domestic club seasons are well underway following the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A busy slate of fixtures is set for the weekend ahead, and some of the standout club friendlies across Friday and Saturday can be found here.

Barcelona vs CE Europa

Reigning La Liga champions kick off their pre-season just days after Spain's World Cup victory over Argentina. A much-changed squad will be involved for Hansi Flick. Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Pau Cubarsi aren't set to rejoin the team until the start of next month.

Frenkie de Jong is unavailable due to injury, and new signing Karim Adeyemi is unlikely to be fit enough to start. CE Europa will be huge 17.0 outsiders with 22Bet ahead of the start of their Primera Federación campaign. Despite not being at full strength, Barcelona look like the standout bet to easily claim victory in their pre-season opener.

  • Date: Friday, 24 July
  • Time: TBC
  • Pick: Barcelona (-2)
  • Odds: 1.42

Rosenborg vs Manchester United

Manchester United will be aiming to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat against Wrexham when they take on Rosenborg at Lerkendal Stadion on July 24. The Red Devils will be without World Cup stars like Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, and Bruno Fernandes, but new signing Andrey Santos is expected to make his second start for the club.

Rosenborg will have the fitness advantage after 13 games already played in the Eliteserien. Their recent performances should also be respected after winning three on the bounce. The Norwegian club avoided defeat in the only previous encounter between these clubs, and history could repeat itself against a weakened Red Devils.

  • Date: Friday, July 24
  • Time: 19:00 GMT+1
  • Pick: Draw
  • Odds: 4.3

Celtic vs Milan

Celtic will play their final pre-season fixture before their first competitive match of the 2026-27 season in Glasgow on Saturday. The Hoops will be led into the campaign by Martin O'Neill, who delivered the SPL title in dramatic fashion on the final day of the previous campaign. So far during the summer, Celtic are yet to win in three fixtures.

Ruben Amorim's tenure at AC Milan got off to a perfect start last week with a 7-0 win over Milan Futuro, but the former Man United boss will still be without influential stars Luka Modric and Rafael Leao following the World Cup. However, Milan have avoided defeat in nine of their previous ten head-to-heads against Celtic, ensuring that there is value in the double chance market.

  • Date: Saturday, July 25
  • Time: 17:00 GMT+1
  • Pick: Milan and Draw
  • Odds: 1.43

Bolton Wanderers vs Everton

Everton have opted to stay closer to home to continue their preparations for the new season. David Moyes' side will be in action at Championship Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, as they aim to build on a recent 4-0 win over Dundee.

New signing Hayden Hackney could start for the Toffees this weekend. Bolton will be closer to peak physical levels ahead of the start of the season, and they can take confidence after winning three of their four pre-season encounters. But, the Premier League experience of the visitors could see them with the quality to get over the line.

  • Date: Saturday, July 25
  • Time: 17:00 GMT+1
  • Pick: Everton
  • Odds: 1.8

Porto vs Aston Villa

A summer of change has played out at Aston Villa this year, with big names like Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers departing the club. Unai Emery has already strengthened in their place with the arrivals of Andre Gomes and Johan Manzambi. However, the latter will be unavailable this Saturday.

Porto have been gearing up for their top-flight defence in Portugal this summer, having gone unbeaten in two of their three pre-season encounters, scoring three goals in total. Based on the attacking talent on display this Saturday, over 2.5 goals looks like a standout selection.

  • Date: Saturday, July 25
  • Time: 22:00 GMT+1
  • Pick: Over 2.5 Goals
  • Odds: 1.63

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