Tottenham v Bayern Munich Preview: Team news, lineups, predictions
Tottenham will reunite with Harry Kane as they face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Thursday.
Fresh from their pre-season tour in Asia, where Spurs shared their goodbyes with Son Heung-min, the Lilywhites will briefly rest before heading out to Germany to face the Bundesliga champions (7 August).
It will be a game of reunions, as Joao Palhinha and Mathys Tel will return to the clubs they left this summer to join Spurs, while there will be a familiar face in Kane awaiting the Lilywhites.
However, Thomas Frank will be solely focused on the performance of his team and giving his players more match minutes ahead of their UEFA Super Cup tie against Paris Saint-Germain (13 August).
Team News
The one blemish on Tottenham’s celebrations for Son’s emotional departure was the late injury sustained by James Maddison, who fell clutching the same injured knee that kept him out of the UEFA Europa League final.
The England international was taken off on a stretcher with his head in his hands, and is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after Frank confirmed that it looked pretty serious.
He will join Radu Dragusin and Dejan Kulusevski, who are both recovering from their own knee problems from last season, on the treatment table, while Kota Takai is also nursing a foot issue.
Dominic Solanke could return from his minor setback, as he was in contention to face the Magpies, but was ultimately not risked.
The one doubt is Destiny Udogie, with Frank explaining last week that Spurs were still assessing the extent of the injury he picked up during the warm-up ahead of their fixture against Luton (26 July).
Predicted Tottenham lineup
Frank’s lineups earlier in pre-season were chopped and changed a fair amount as he wanted to gather as much intel as possible about his squad.
However, there was a more familiar feel to his selections in Asia, and the Dane is expected to field a strong XI in his final warm-up game.
The back five is expected to feature last season’s favourites, with Guglielmo Vicario between the sticks behind Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky Van de Ven, and Djed Spence, as they look to try and contain the ever-impressive Kane.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Bayern Munich | 96 | 85 | 26 |
| Tottenham | 435 | 280 | 63 |
Palhinha could be in line for a start as Frank looks to get him up to speed quickly, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall likely to start alongside the new arrival.
Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert are expected to occupy the wide positions after their impressive pre-season form, with Richarlison set to retake his place as the sole striker.
Prediction: Bayern 1-1 Tottenham
The overriding theme of pre-season under Frank has been the notable improvement in defending, both from open play and set pieces.
It has worked, as Tottenham are yet to lose a game this summer, and the 51-year-old will hope to continue that record ahead of his first chance at winning silverware with the Lilywhites.
- 19 July – Reading 0 – 2 Tottenham
- 26 July – Tottenham 2 -2 Wycombe Wanderers
- 26 July – Luton Town 0 – 0 Tottenham
- 31 July – Arsenal 0 – 1 Tottenham
- 3 August – Tottenham 1 – 1 Newcastle
However, they have not been as fluid going forward, and will be facing one of Europe’s most feared front lines, who now have the additional threat of Luis Diaz after his big-money move from Liverpool.
Therefore, Tottenham News are predicting a 1-1 draw against the Bavarian giants, which would maintain their unbeaten streak and leave them feeling confident for the season ahead.
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