5 Preseason Friendlies You Need to Watch

Michael Cummings@MikeCummings37World Football Lead WriterJune 25, 2012

5 Preseason Friendlies You Need to Watch

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    Euro 2012 is still going, but in another month club teams will already be playing preseason friendlies.

    Domestic leagues are set to restart in August, and the UEFA Champions League will hold qualifying matches as early as July.

    That means the offseason—which seemed to start only a few weeks ago—is quickly approaching its end.

    With that in mind, here are five preseason friendlies you'll want to watch.

PSG vs. Barcelona

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    Details: Aug. 4; Parc des Princes, Paris

    Paris St. Germain will host Barcelona in the first edition of the new le Trophee de Paris competition, and both teams should be interesting to watch.

    Pep Guardiola resigned as Barcelona's manager following the 2011-12 season, and his former assistant, Tito Vilanova, now leads the team. All the big names—Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta—are still around, and Barca could have made a signing or two by then.

    But will they be able to continue playing Guardiola's brand-flowing football under Vilanova?

    PSG, meanwhile, are among the growing number of Europe's nouveau-riche sides. With a seemingly endless transfer budget and a big-name manager in Carlo Ancelotti (pictured), PSG are threatening to build a squad capable of competing for European glory.

MLS All-Stars vs. Chelsea

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    Details: July 25; PPL Park, Chester, Penn.

    Chelsea's preseason tour of the United States will include a non-competitive match against Major League Soccer's All-Stars in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

    But while the game will officially be a friendly, both teams will want to win. MLS All-Stars will want to prove themselves against a top-tier European team, and as the reigning European champions, Chelsea won't want to be shown up by a bunch of upstarts in America.

    Plus, new Chelsea signing Eden Hazard (pictured) could make an appearance.

Real Madrid vs. AC Milan

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    Details: Aug. 8; Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.

    Who says preseason friendlies can't be marquee matchups?

    Real Madrid and AC Milan are two of Europe's most historically successful clubs, both feature oodles of star power and they're set to play in a bona-fide American landmark.

    Cristiano Ronaldo (pictured), Mesut Ozil and Iker Casillas headline Real Madrid's lineup. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva feature for AC Milan.

    Question is, how many of those guys will make an appearance at Yankee Stadium?

Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen

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    Details: Aug. 4; Hamburg, Germany

    Several questions will surround Bayern Munich's match against Werder Bremen in the fourth edition of the LIGA total! Cup.

    Will Arjen Robben be there? Will he want to be there?

    Can Bayern bounce back from their bitter Champions League final disappointment?

    And will all those German players be tired after their Euro 2012 run?

Liverpool vs. Tottenham

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    Details: July 28; M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

    Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur both endured disappointing finishes to the 2011-12 season.

    After winning the Carling Cup, Liverpool lost the FA Cup final and finished seventh in the English Premier League.

    And after keeping up with the league leaders for half the season, Spurs faded in the second half, finished fourth and were robbed of their Champions League place by Chelsea's unlikely run to the title.

    Liverpool have a new boss in Brendan Rodgers (pictured), and Tottenham are reportedly in advanced talks with former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas (per The Telegraph).

    Both clubs are trying to start fresh. This friendly could serve as a springboard.