Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur meet at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday to kick off the 2015 Audi Cup in Munich, Germany.

For Real Madrid, this two-day, four-team summer tournament, also featuring Bayern Munich and AC Milan, is the third component of their ongoing pre-season campaign, following stints in the International Champions Cup in Australia and China.

In both stops, Los Blancos were successful, clinching the trophy on each occasion and losing just once in four games, when a scoreless draw with AS Roma in Melbourne was decided on penalties. Under the new management of Rafa Benitez, Real’s progression this summer has been intriguing (see here and here), and Tuesday’s meeting with Spurs represents another important step in the club’s transitional phase ahead of the new season.

For Tottenham, meanwhile, this trip to Munich comes at the back end of a long pre-season campaign that has visited Australia, Malaysia and the U.S. Against Sydney FC and a Malaysia XI, the north Londoners emerged triumphant, but they enter Tuesday’s clash with Real Madrid following a 2-1 defeat to the MLS All-Stars in Colorado on Thursday.

Under manager Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs are also in a period of transition, with the club’s squad seeing some significant changes in the transfer market following the arrivals of Toby Alderweireld, Kevin Wimmer and Kieran Trippier—a trio who have come in amid the exits of Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Benjamin Stambouli, Vlad Chiriches, Lewis Holtby and Younes Kaboul, among others. Roberto Soldado, Emmanuel Adebayor and Aaron Lennon could soon follow suit, too.

But the element of this match that’s perhaps more interesting than any other is Gareth Bale coming up against his old club for the first time since his record-breaking move from White Hart Lane to the Bernabeu in 2013. What sort of reunion will it prove to be?

 

Match Details

Date: Tuesday, August 4

Time: 5:15 p.m. BST (12:15 p.m. EDT, 6:15 p.m. local)

Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany

TV Info: Premier Sports (UK), ESPN2 (U.S.), beIN Sports (Spain), ZDF (Germany)

Live Stream: Premier Player (UK), ESPN Player (U.S.), beIN Sports CONNECT (Spain), ZDF Livestream (Germany)

 

Team News 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema will be absent for Real Madrid in this Audi Cup, with the club’s official website announcing the Portuguese “suffered lower back pain during the latest training session” and that the Frenchman “overloaded his right thigh in the last session.”

Ronaldo’s absence will likely afford a chance to Denis Cheryshev on the left side of Benitez’s 4-2-3-1, while Jese will likely come in for Benzema at the head of the attack.

The pair of superstar forwards are the only names missing for Real Madrid, with Benitez’s squad as follows:

Keylor Navas, Kiko Casilla, Ruben Yanez, Raphael Varane, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo, Daniel Carvajal, Alvaro Arbeloa, Danilo, Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Denis Cheryshev, Isco, Asier Illarramendi, Marco Asensio, Martin Odegaard, Jese, Lucas Vazquez and Borja Mayoral.

Tottenham also announced their squad for this tournament Monday, and it’s essentially the same group the club took to the U.S, with Soldado, Adebayor, Lennon (uncertain futures) and Andros Townsend (injured) absent from the 23-man group listed below:

Michel Vorm, Hugo Lloris, Luke McGee, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Ben Davies, Eric Dier, Federico Fazio, Toby Alderweireld, Kevin Wimmer, Jan Vertonghen, Nabil Bentaleb, Ryan Mason, Harry Winks, Dele Alli, Mousa Dembele, Tom Carroll, Josh Onomah, Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela, Nacer Chadli, Harry Kane.

 

Predicted Lineups

 

Players to Watch

Inevitably, all eyes will be on Bale on Tuesday as the Welshman comes up against his old side for the first time since moving to Real Madrid.

However, the interest surrounding Bale will centre on more than just his Tottenham reunion; with Ronaldo and Benzema missing, it’s an ideal opportunity for the former Spurs star to lead Benitez’s attacking quartet, and he looks as if he’ll do so while continuing in his new role in the hole behind the striker.

Behind Bale, defensive midfielder Casemiro is another Real Madrid player to watch closely.

Having started both of the club’s games in China against AC Milan and Inter Milan, the Brazilian looks to be among the fringe players most likely to rise to prominence at the Bernabeu in 2015-16.

A more rugged central option than Kroos or Modric, Casemiro is a strong ball winner and effective tackler, a player who seemingly enjoys the game’s grittier elements. At this stage, the 23-year-old looks to be the man Benitez will turn to when the manager wants to add a defensive edge to his new side, and another strong performance here would likely confirm that status.

For Tottenham, Kane will undoubtedly be the side’s biggest drawing card in Munich, following his spectacular breakout season in the Premier League in 2014-15.

For Kane, this will be his first match against one of the heavyweights from the continent, given the absence of Champions League football at White Hart Lane in recent seasons. Interestingly, it will also come against the outfit that was reported to be scouting him at various junctures last season, per Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail.

Further back in Tottenham’s lineup, another man to watch will be new signing Alderweireld.

Not surprisingly, the Belgian was a hit in the Premier League last season at Southampton, with the formative years he spent at Ajax (technical proficiency) and Atletico Madrid (defensive principles) providing him with a delightfully rounded skill set for a modern centre-back.

Now in north London, the 26-year-old will be looking to settle quickly into his new club and will want to cement his position in the middle of Pochettino‘s back four this pre-season.

 

Odds (via OddsChecker)

• Real Madrid: 2-5
• Draw: 15-4
• Tottenham Hotspur: 6-1

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