Lambeau Field forms the backdrop as Bayern Munich and Manchester City go head-to-head in a blockbuster pre-season friendly.
A mouth-watering exhibition fixture scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 24, at midnight BST, pits the perennial Bundesliga holders against back-to-back Premier League champions.
It took former Liverpool stalwart Sadio Mane only five minutes into his Bayern debut to get on the scoresheet as he converted a spot-kick in his side’s 6-2 demolition of Major League Soccer side DC United in midweek.
After coasting their way through to their record-extending 32nd Bundesliga title and tenth on the trot, Julian Nagelsmann’s side performed a few drastic roster changes in the summer.
While Mane came in to provide further options to the German’s intimidating frontline, Matthijs de Ligt arrived from Juventus to solidify Munich’s defensive line-up.
The Bavarians have also robbed Ajax of two stellar young talents, as Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui signed long-term contracts at the Allianz Arena earlier in the summer.
On a more sorrowful note, long-serving talisman Robert Lewandowski’s mission to force his move to La Liga powerhouse Barcelona paid dividends earlier this week.
Without Lewandowski, Nagelsmann may have to change the identity of his Bayern side, with the upcoming pre-season clash against Man City coming as Bayern’s first test of character in the post-Pole era.
How to watch the match?
Bayern vs Man City, alongside other high-profile pre-season friendlies, is available to watch live online via football streaming sites.
Match Preview
Bayern Munich
Despite leaving 2021/22 Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund eight points behind en route to extending unparalleled domestic supremacy, Bayern flopped down the final stretch of last season.
Nagelsmann’s team went winless in their final three league matches in 2021/22 (D2, L1), conceding 2+ goals on each occasion, which was the case against Wayne Rooney’s DC United last time out.
Unless de Ligt can deliver the goods from the get-go, the Bavarians could find themselves in trouble against Man City’s free-scoring attack, further bolstered by the summer addition of Erling Haaland.
But it is hard to make a case for Bayern not to score a few themselves, especially after bagging two or more goals in five of their last six outings, at an average of 2.83 per game.
Manchester City
Haaland failed to mark his debut in Man City’s inaugural pre-season friendly against Liga MX juggernauts Club America after completing his £51.2million switch from Dortmund.
But Kevin De Bruyne’s out-of-this-world first-half performance catapulted Pep Guardiola’s men to a keenly-contested 2-1 victory at the NRG Stadium, Houston.
Though the Norwegian, who used to score at will against Bayern during his spell at the Signal Iduna Park, lags behind his teammates in terms of match fitness, he should make Guardiola’s starting XI in Green Bay.
While waiting for Haaland to integrate himself into the squad, the Cityzens have nothing to worry about when it comes to their scoring prospects, having notched up 3+ goals in seven of their last ten matches.
What’s next for Bayern?
Sunday’s fixture will be Bayern’s final pre-season game before their German Super Cup showpiece against bitter rivals RB Leipzig on July 30.
Nagelsmann’s side will launch their Bundesliga title defence away to last season’s Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt on August 5.
