📆 Five pre-season games not to be missed | OneFootball

Pre-season isn’t just a time for new faces to settle and players to get their fitness up to speed.

It can also offer up some interesting fixtures worth taking time out of your summer to watch.

We look at five games to watch from across the globe in the coming weeks.

Manchester United v Leeds United – Perth, 17 July

One of England’s fiercest rivalries makes its way down under this summer as the Uniteds of Manchester and Leeds clash.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be keen to lay down a marker (he knows how much this fixture means after all), while for the opposition, it will be about building up those fitness levels Marcelo Bielsa craves and attempting to snare some bragging rights.

Liverpool v Borussia Dortmund – Indiana, July 20

Jürgen Klopp’s men warm up for their assault on the Premier League title with a clash against the only other club where he is idolised as much.

It will also be interesting to see how these two sides fare as they hope to go one better than their final-day title race defeats last year.

The game is also the first ever to take place at the University of Notre Dame’s 77,000-seater stadium, home to their Fighting Irish American Football team.

Barcelona v Chelsea – Saitama, 23 July

This game will be the first real test for new Blues boss Frank Lampard and provides an interesting test for his team.

Against a stiff challenge, it will be interesting to see how his likely youthful and experimental Chelsea side fare.

Juventus v Inter – Nanjing, 24 July

Make no mistake about it, Antonio Conte will be looking to show his former club he means business at Inter and that starts in this game.

A fierce, driven competitor who didn’t exactly leave Juve on the best of terms, this will be an ideal chance to prove that the Nerazzurri can be a force under their new coach.

Real Madrid v Atlético – New Jersey, 27 July

Given their summer activity, there is plenty of reason to be excited about the prospect of a Stateside Madrid derby.

Eden Hazard, Luka Jović, Ferland Mendy and João Félix are just some of the new faces who may be on show in what could be a fiery affair for a pre-season clash.