Audi Cup: Real Madrid and Spurs Fine Tune

Real Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur

The pre-season continues apace as the big European Leagues count down to kick-off.

There isn’t long to wait now, and there’s no let-up in preparations.

After participating in the International Champions Cup, Real Madrid and Spurs are heading closer to home, to Europe. The Audi Cup takes place in Germany every two years, with four teams partaking and, this year, Turkish club Fenerbahce will join the hosts FC Bayern alongside Real Madrid and Spurs, who open up at the Allianz Arena.

Los Blancos start their La Liga campaign on the 17^th August with a tricky test away to Celta Vigo. Meanwhile, Spurs open their Premier League campaign a week earlier when new boys Aston Villa are the visitors to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Talking Points

ZZ’s Injury headaches

Los Blancos suffered a right royal thumping at the hands of city rivals Atletico Madrid at the ICC, losing 7-3 having been five down at halftime; and head coach Zinedine Zidane was critical, saying his side lacked intensity in the first Madrid derby to be held outside Europe.

The Asian Handicap SBOBET options are always there to open up more entertainment for sports betting fans, but a four-goal win for Atleti was a surprise to us all. And there was more bad news for Zidane as his injury list grew rather longer than he would have hoped.

Los Blancos will be without the injured Luka Jovic for this Audi Cup clash. The 21- year old striker started in the fiasco against Atleti, but limped out of the MetLife Stadium after just half an hour, after colliding with Rojiblancos keeper Jan Oblak.

Real Madrid new signing Luka Jovic will not play in the Audi Cup due to injury — Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic during his presentation at Santiago Bernabeu

Jovic joins Marco Asensio, Ferland Mendy and Brahim Diaz on the treatment table after they all picked up knocks on the tour of North America. Asensio suffered an ACL injury during Real’s win over Arsenal. It’s all very frustrating for the head coach after he watched his side humiliated by Atletico and needs a much better performance against Spurs. And Los Blancos’ fans will be amazed that 30-year-old Welsh winger Gareth Bale is still at the club. He looked to be heading to China to join Jiangsu Suning, but the move collapsed at the 11^th hour.

Whether Bale makes an appearance against his former club is doubtful, but the Spurs players will be re-acquainted with a familiar face in Eden Hazard, who gave them the runaround more than once in his time at Chelsea.

Tanguy looks the part for Spurs

Spurs were a little unlucky to lose to Premier League rivals Manchester United in the ICC after Lucas Moura had drawn them deservedly level. The north Londoners were much better in the second half against United after Son Heung-Min had been introduced.

New signing Tanguy Ndombele has impressed his team-mates already and could become a fans favourite after his big-money switch from Lyon. The 22-year-old has shown great vision and power in his two appearances and could be a good source of supply for Son, Moura and Harry Kane while being a formidable presence in the middle of the park. He’s the kind of player Spurs have been looking for in a while.

Pochettino will want to see his side perform well against top opposition again as he readies himself for another assault on the Premier League title.

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Premier League

History

The latest Real Madrid vs Spurs betting odds pitch Los Blancos as favourites. They have won three of the five meetings since 2011, with Spurs winning one and there has been one draw. Spurs did win the last meeting though by a 3-1 scoreline back in 2017.

Neither side has the best recent record, which spans back to the end of the last season; Real Madrid has lost four from six, while Spurs has lost three over that period.

Betting Tip

	Real Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspur	Tottenham Hotspur Asian Handicap 0.00 @ 2.36
	July 31, 00:00 (GMT+8)

At 2.19 to win Los Blancos will have to improve quickly after the debacle against Atletico Madrid last week. Their defence was in disarray and with turmoil and injuries in his camp Zinedine Zidane is not having the best of pre-seasons.

Spurs are at 3.00 and the draw is available at 3.45 with 1-1 being the most likely scoreline at odds of 7.00.

Pochettino’s team has looked in decent shape against Juventus and Manchester United, and they do have the firepower to take advantage of a jittery defence. I think there will be goals in the game but I can’t see Los Blancos outscoring the Premier League Whites.

Time will tell and we’ll be right back here on Wednesday with the Audi Cup 2019 updates from the Allianz Arena.