In the whirlwind world of pre-season friendlies, even the most steadfast of plans can come undone. Such is the fate of Tottenham Hotspur, whose upcoming challenge against Roma was promptly swapped for a match with Singapore’s very own Lion City Sailors, in the wake of the Italians’ abrupt departure.
Unforeseen Change of Opponent
Post Roma’s cancellation of their Asian tour, Spurs now have their eyes on a mid-week clash against Lion City Sailors. Stepping into the breach left by Roma, the local squad seems ready to tackle Ange Postecoglou’s men, granting the new gaffer his second glimpse at his team in action. The first friendly was an unfortunate 3-2 loss to West Ham, setting the tone for a challenging pre-season.
To add to the chaos, Spurs’ scheduled match against Championship side Leicester was cancelled due to waterlogged pitch conditions in Thailand.
The Stage Is Set
Here is all the relevant information regarding the upcoming fixture:
Venue: Singapore National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore Date: Wednesday, 26 July Kick-off: 12:30 BST / 07:30 ET / 04:30 PT
For those unable to witness the action live, it will be broadcast on SpursPlay in the United Kingdom and Canada, and in the United States on SpursPlay, CBS Sports Network, and Paramount+.
Spotlight on Tottenham’s Squad
With Rodrigo Bentancur, Fraser Forster, Bryan Gill, Troy Parrott, and Ryan Sessegnon all nursing injuries, and Hugo Lloris left behind for transfer talks, the onus is on the remaining Spurs to step up.
The transfer saga surrounding Harry Kane will keep all eyes firmly glued on the striker, marking it as one of the summer’s most intriguing storylines.
Tottenham’s likely lineup for this fixture is (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Tanganga, Udogie; Hojbjerg, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Solomon; Kane.
The Sailor’s Sail into Action
For Postecoglou, Lion City’s squad boasts a familiar face in the form of centre-back Bailey Wright. Having joined from Sunderland over the summer, Wright made his international debut under Postecoglou back in 2014.
Fans of FIFA may recognise the name Richairo Zivkovic, yet the real player to watch is attacking midfielder Diego Lopes. His €1.8m move from Rio Ave in 2021 makes him the priciest player in Singapore’s football history.
The probable Lion City Sailors lineup vs Tottenham is (4-2-3-1): Rohaizad; Nor, Harun, Tan, Abdullah; Syahin, Kumar; Anwar, Lopes, Lestienne; Zivkovic.
This is set to be a thrilling pre-season encounter, with both Tottenham and Lion City Sailors eager to put on a strong performance and set the tone for their upcoming campaigns.
