B/R Experts: Big-Game Predictions, August 5-6

After a summer of pre-season action and massive spending from a host of clubs, league action gets under way in France and curtain-raisers take place in England and Germany.

As well as the competitive games, a couple of intriguing friendlies have been added to the mix, and our experts have been casting their eyes over the games.

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Amiens

Francois Mori/Associated Press

Sam Tighe says: It's the biggest budget in Ligue 1 versus the smallest on Saturday. A Paris Saint-Germain potentially infused with world-record signing Neymar will take on promoted Amiens, whose official Twitter account (in French) recently joked about the eye-popping differences in the two clubs' budgets.

In the past, PSG have beaten some promoted teams resoundingly—a 9-0 victory over Troyes in March 2016 springs to mind—and it's reasonable to expect a battering on a similar scale here.

Prediction: 5-0

First goalscorer: Edinson Cavani

Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich

Koji Sasahara/Associated Press

Sam Tighe says: Pre-season results don't mean much, and that will be a relief to Bayern Munich fans. Their summer campaign has been wretched in terms of scorelines, having been turned over by multiple Italian sides and Liverpool to nil.

Expect them to turn it on when it matters, starting on Saturday in the German Super Cup against Borussia Dortmund, who haven't produced anything sparkling over the summer themselves and have a new manager's ideas to comprehend.

These two foes often meet in this traditional curtain-raiser, and the shared results have been mixed. We're tipping Bayern to edge it here in an end-to-end battle.

Prediction: 2-3

First goalscorer: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Juventus

Damian Strohmeyer/Associated Press

Adam Digby says: Forget meaningless pre-season trophies, here's a good, old-fashioned, high-profile clash between two teams just a week away from the start of their competitive fixtures.

If this was a "proper" match, it would be interesting to see managers Mauricio Pochettino and Massimiliano Allegri go head-to-head, with their tactical acumen surely tested against a worthy adversary.

However, Tottenham Hotspur are preparing for the opening round of Premier League fixtures starting August 11, while Juventus take on Lazio for the Supercoppa Italiana on August 13, meaning supporters of both sides should not expect to see their big-name stars pushing themselves at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

The Bianconeri may have former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny between the posts, which should at least provide an edge to the atmosphere.

Prediction: 2-2

First goalscorer: Douglas Costa

Arsenal vs. Chelsea

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Dean Jones says: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has not been particularly happy since last season's Premier League title celebrations.

The board have struggled to land the targets he wanted, and he was forced to sign Alvaro Morata as his new elite striker when the man he wanted was Romelu Lukaku.

Still, there is reason for optimism ahead of the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday, as they have already seen off Arsenal in pre-season with a 3-0 win in Beijing.

The Gunners will point to their FA Cup final win over the Blues as a good reason to believe they can achieve another Wembley win. They have also won the Emirates Cup since then, even though they were beaten by Sevilla 2-1 and only lifted the trophy on goals scored. A complete joke, really.

The truth is neither side has looked convincing so the safest way to predict this one is to look at who is most likely to win if both are at their best—and that is Chelsea.

Prediction: 1-2

First goalscorer: Alexandre Lacazette

Inter Milan vs. Villarreal

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Adam Digby says: In a strange summer, Inter Milan have managed to retain their most important players despite many being linked with moves away.

Ivan Perisic (Manchester United) and Antonio Candreva (Chelsea) remain with the club, while new boss Luciano Spalletti has seen Borja Valero and Matias Vecino arrive from Fiorentina to bolster their depth.

That will allow him to rotate his 4-2-3-1 system with little decline in quality, meaning the Nerazzurri will be a stern test for Villarreal in Sunday's friendly at the Stadio Riviera delle Palme in San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy.

The Spanish side lost key defender Mateo Musacchio to AC Milan in May and have endured a mixed bag of results in pre-season, including a loss to Gimnastic de Tarragona, making it difficult to see anything but a win for the Serie A side here.

Prediction: 3-1

First goalscorer: Mauro Icardi