International Champions Cup Tips: Spurs and Juventus likely to draw

Michael Lintorn
25 July 2016

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino must use the International Champions Cup to revitalise his squad

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A look at the odds for the latest International Champions Cup clashes, with Juventus and Tottenham meeting in Melbourne...

"Juventus kicked off the tournament with an upset penalty shootout defeat to Melbourne Victory."

Recommended Bet: Back Juventus and Tottenham to draw @ 3.412/5

Man City 2.427/5 v Man United 3.1511/5; The Draw 3.613/5
Monday, 12:30
Live on MUTV

This really is something to savour - not only is it a bonus Manchester derby in pre-season, but it might be the only one for a few years not played to a backdrop of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho melodramatic mind-game hype, with both coaches refusing to indulge prior to their Beijing battle.

Instead, the main antagonist of the piece is a shared one, the National Stadium surface, with both tacticians expressing some concern over its condition and the risk of their players being injured on it.

One injury already incurred this season came to Manchester United's pride when they were comfortably outperformed by Borussia Dortmund in their International Champions Cup opener, trailing 3-0 after 57 minutes in Shanghai before eventually losing 4-1.

There was a positive for the Red Devils in a goal for one of their three high-profile additions Henrikh Mkhitaryan against his former club - Eric Bailly also started, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic is yet to link up - but it was difficult to fault Mourinho's assessment that "it was like Formula 1 against Formula 3".

As good as Man United have been in this friendly competition in the past, lifting the trophy outright in 2014 and ranking third of ten in their section last year, this was the second summer in a row in which the Portuguese boss saw his side breached four times in it, with Chelsea stunned 4-2 by the New York Red Bulls last July.

His Blues squad won none of their four fixtures in that participation in regular time and, after a poor beginning to his latest challenge, you would have to be backing Manchester City - victors in four of the most recent seven derbies - to prevail in the first one staged overseas.

Recommended Bet: Back Man City to win @ 2.427/5

Juventus 2.6613/8 v Tottenham 2.77/4; The Draw 3.412/5
Tuesday, 11:00
Live on Sky Sports 1

Punters are unsure what to make of Tottenham's maiden International Champions Cup encounter in Melbourne, with themselves and Juventus barely separated in the betting, and there is reason to believe that the biggest price on the board - the draw at 3.412/5 - is the one worth taking.

Neither of these teams are in full flow yet, with the Old Lady shaken by the loss of 2015/16 contributors like Alvaro Morata and Juan Cuadrado, the ongoing Paul Pogba saga and kicking off the tournament with an upset penalty shootout defeat to Melbourne Victory.

Spurs are unlikely to improve on the Bianconeri's introductory effort, given the mental baggage that they need to unload following the run of two points in four games at the end of the prior campaign, culminating in a 5-1 final-day humbling at the hands of ten representatives of relegated Newcastle, which not just ruined their title challenge but enabled Arsenal to overtake them.

The Lilywhites are also missing several of their star turns like Harry Kane and Dele Alli.

Recommended Bet: Back the draw @ 3.412/5

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