We are just a short time away from the official start of the 2024-25 season in the top 5 European soccer leagues, so it’s currently a hot period of friendly matches.
Let’s discuss the performances of Europe’s top clubs in these matches and provide a brief assessment of their readiness for the upcoming official matches.
Real Madrid played their first pre-season matches without several superstars, some of whom are recovering from injuries while others are resting after Euro 2024 and Copa America 2024.
Although Vinícius Júnior returned to the pitch in the second half against Barcelona, other stars like Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Daniel Carvajal, and Ferland Mendy are were still unavailable. Some of them are expected to return for the European Super Cup match against Atalanta next week.
During pre-season, many young talents like Endrick and Arda Güler have had the opportunity to be key players in friendlies. However, their impact was sporadic, and Real Madrid struggled to carve out clear-cut chances against Milan and Barcelona. In defense, Ancelotti’s team did not play compactly and often made mistakes near their penalty box, resulting in two defeats.
Despite these setbacks, it’s important to remember that Real Madrid faced similar embarrassments in last year’s pre-season, particularly against Barcelona and Juventus. Yet, they bounced back to win the Spanish league and the Champions League. Therefore, it’s best not to draw too many conclusions from these pre-season friendlies.
Barcelona played their first two matches under new coach Hans-Dieter Flick. The team’s change in playing style is already noticeable and will surely be even more evident in their next matches.
Barcelona focuses on quick vertical attacks through triangles on the flanks. The trio’s passing combinations have allowed the Catalan club to create several scoring opportunities in their friendlies, even without several key players on the pitch.
Injuries have been a concern, with Ronald Araújo, Pedri, Frenkie De Jong, and Gavi all sidelined. Of these, only the Dutch midfielder may recover by the start of the season. Most other Barcelona players are still resting after participating in major summer tournaments and will only return closer to the official start of the season.
At present, only Robert Lewandowski, Alejandro Balde, Andreas Christensen, and Marc-André ter Stegen are the core players available for Flick. Notably, Lewandowski appears to be thriving under Flick’s guidance, reminiscent of their successful partnership at Bayern Munich.
Under Xavi, Lewandowski often worked too hard for his teammates and had to drop deep to collect the ball. However, under the new coach, the Polish striker may well unleash his full attacking potential.
During the friendly matches, Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United team was missing several key players, including Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, Lisandro Martínez, Diogo Dalot, and Luke Shaw. Additionally, Leny Yoro and Rasmus Højlund sustained serious injuries during the pre-season preparation, further complicating matters.
Despite significant transfer activity, Manchester United has yet to secure the much-needed reinforcements in central defense, defensive midfield, and box-to-box roles. This has led to the team conceding several goals and allowing many chances for their opponents in games against Arsenal, Betis, and Liverpool.
Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire, and Casemiro continue to make critical defensive mistakes, exposing Manchester United’s defensive vulnerabilities. If the club’s management fails to make any significant moves in the transfer market before the start of the season, Erik ten Hag’s ability to achieve positive results in the upcoming official matches could be severely compromised.
On a brighter note, Amad Diallo and Jadon Sancho have been performing well, consistently finding the back of the net in pre-season friendlies. It is likely that these players will serve as the main wing forwards in the upcoming season.
Arsenal has two more friendlies before the first official match of the season, so let’s not be too harsh on the team’s performance in the initial preparation matches.
The London team scored three goals in the matches against Manchester United and Liverpool, but without Bukayo Saka, their attacking play didn’t look as bright and effective as usual. However, Fábio Vieira, who is still hoping to become one of Arsenal’s main players, stepped up and delivered a great performance.
Arenal’s pressing occasionally forced their opponents into gross errors near their own penalty area. However, there were also moments when this failed, which may well have been due to the absences of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and William Saliba.
So far, Arteta’s team has been unimpressive, but this may change for the match against Fulham, especially as the main players will gradually return from vacation and reintegrate into the squad.
Liverpool won all three friendly matches, demonstrating high-quality positional attacks. The Reds allowed almost no dangerous moments in defense, which is very promising before the start of the season.
New coach Arne Slot immediately began implementing his main principles in attack, particularly overloading the midfield areas with quick combinations. Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho excelled against Arsenal and Manchester United, creating threats on the flanks with their passes, assists, and shots.
Carvalho’s performances have been so impactful that he is making a strong case for a starting role, especially with Luis Díaz showing signs of inconsistency.
It is also important to notice that in the match against Betis, Arne Slot used a 4-4-2 system, displaying tactical flexibility based on their opponents and available resources.
However, it’s worth noting that the Dutch coach is in dire need of a top-class holding midfielder, meaning that Liverpool will surely be active in the transfer market until it closes. Without a top-notch, well-passing defensive midfielder, it will be very difficult for Liverpool to maintain top positions over the long term.
Therefore, the possible transfer of a “new Fabinho” could significantly impact the prospects of the Merseyside club in the new season.
Friendly matches: Celtic 3-4, Milan 2-3, Barcelona 2-2 (pen. 1-4), Chelsea 4-2
First official match: August 10th, Community Shield: Manchester United vs Manchester City.
Due to the large number of players who participated in Euro 2024 and Copa America 2024, Pep Guardiola did not have the opportunity to use at least three or four of the team’s main players in the pre-season friendlies. As a result, Manchester City conceded a lot of goals in their opening matches.
However, it’s widely expected that once most of the main players return from vacation, the quality of City’s performances will improve significantly.
In the meantime, I would like to mention 21-year-old Norwegian Oscar Bobb, who was the standout player for Manchester City in the friendly matches. He has demonstrated great dribbling and creativity, which suggests that City will have no problem creating chances, especially with the presence of several other top-class wing forwards.
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