Celtic vs. Barcelona: 2016 ICC Time, TV Schedule and Live Stream

Barcelona will start their pre-season with an International Champions Cup match against Scottish champions Celtic on Saturday, July 30, at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

Celtic are well ahead of the Catalans in their preparations for the new season, as they were forced to start early in order to reach peak form in time for UEFA Champions League qualifiers. With a crucial return leg against FC Astana on the horizon, manager Brendan Rodgers will likely opt to rest a number of starters on Saturday.

Barcelona will also play a friendly against Premier League champions Leicester City in Sweden in their preparations for the upcoming season. Given their lack of preparation time so far, fans shouldn't expect a vintage Blaugrana performance at the Aviva Stadium.

Date: Saturday, July 30

Time: 6 p.m. BST/1 p.m. ET

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland

TV Info: Sky Sports 1 (UK), ESPN (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go, WatchESPN

Preview

Celtic used a number of starters who also featured in their Champions League qualifiers against Lincoln Red Imps FC and FC Astana in their first ICC match of 2016—against Leicester—but after a tricky first leg in Kazakhstan that finished 1-1, Rodgers is expected to make a few changes and give his key players a chance to rest.

Per the Press Association (for Sky Sports), the former Liverpool manager was more than happy with the result, after the hosts dominated large stretches of the contest:

"

It was an outstanding result for us. Collectively the mentality was the most pleasing thing. I think we were all written off before the game, everyone pretty clear in their opinion of the game, that we would do well to come back with anything other than a loss, but the players deserve an immense amount of credit, to fight and show spirit and passion in the game.

"

ESPN FC's Alex Shaw didn't agree with his assessment:

Champions League qualification is vital for Celtic, who will likely make some sacrifices against Barcelona. Playing the Blaugrana is always a privilege for a club like Celtic, but on this occasion, the risks are just too great.

The Catalans had a late start to pre-season, although several stars returned to training earlier than predicted, including Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano and Sergio Busquets, per Sport's Javier Miguel.

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

Those three won't be playing against Celtic, but a host of stars did make the trip to the British Isles. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez will likely get some minutes, and star youngsters Sergi Samper and Munir El Haddadi will be keen to impress.

El Haddadi in particular is in need of a strong pre-season. The winger was one of the most-hyped prospects in the world when he made the step up to the first team, but his development has stalled since, and a loan move could be on the cards if he can't convince manager Luis Enrique in the coming weeks.

As shared by the club's official Twitter account, he has flashed his potential, and he could be a fine back-up behind the current attacking trident of Suarez, Messi and Neymar:

Avoiding injuries will be more important than ever for Celtic, given their vital upcoming return match against Astana, and for the Catalans, the play of their youngsters and fringe players will be more important than that of their stars.

Expect Messi and Suarez to get some playing time but likely no more than a half.