Tottenham Hotspur vs Bayern Munich – Club Friendlies – Preview, Team News and Squad Updates

2024-08-10 ScoreWaves Staff

Excitement surrounding the 2024/25 Premier League season has reached a fever pitch, with the start of England's top flight now just days away. Premier League teams are in their last leg of preseason festivities, and for their final preseason match, Tottenham Hotspur will be welcoming Bayern Munich to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight.

Even though this match is labeled as a friendly, it carries special meaning for Spurs fans, as they get to welcome back the club's all-time leading scorer, Harry Kane, and Eric Dier. This will be Kane’s first appearance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in over a year. Therefore, the stadium will be packed to the rafters.

However, in the midst of commemoration and celebration, fans shouldn’t forget that there’s still a game to be played. Bayern handed Spurs their first defeat of the summer when they last met in Korea. Now, Spurs and Ange will look to end their preseason on a positive note.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Bayern Munich – Match Preview

As a club, Tottenham Hotspur has found a new lease of life under Australian head coach, Ange Postecoglou. Spurs’ fans had to endure dull and unimaginative football for almost four seasons, as Daniel Levy appointed defensive-minded coaches like Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte. The fanbase grew increasingly frustrated by Levy’s constant managerial missteps, and it all came to a head after Antonio Conte’s infamous press conference rant.

The fans had reached their limit, and big changes were needed in the 2023 offseason. However, Postecoglou’s appointment instantly lifted the mood around the club. His no-nonsense communication, faith in youth and ultra attacking football resonated with the club’s values and the fanbase’s desire. Ange’s Spurs performed admirably during the 2023-24 season, finishing fifth in the league. But now in his second season, the fans expect his team to kick on and truly challenge for trophies and a Champions League spot.

Spurs have had an excellent preseason tournament, securing victories against Hearts, QPR, Vissel Kobe and K-League 11. However, their perfect record was ended by Bayern in their last game of the Asia Tour. Goals from 20-year-old striker Gabriel Vidovic and Leon Goretzka handed the Bavarian giants a 2-0 lead. Pedro Porro’s thunderous strike from distance pulled one back for Spurs.

It was a labored performance from Spurs, as Bayern looked the more threatening team on the night. Simply put, the Bavarian giants were just better than Tottenham. However, Tottenham players will look to avenge that loss and lay down a marker for the start of the Premier League season.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Bayern Munich – Team News and Updates

Ange Postecoglou and his coaching staff have worked really hard to get the players match fit for the upcoming season. Several double training sessions in the humid heat of Japan and South Korea is a challenge in itself. On top of that, they’ve played three friendly games in just a week. All this hard work could mean that Spurs players will be among the fittest when the season kicks off.

However, Destiny Udogie (hamstring) and Richarlison (calf) have missed most of the training sessions due to injury. While both have returned to training, there’s still quite some way for them to be match fit. Hence, both the players might not feature in tonight’s game. But players like Micky Van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur and Giovanni Lo Celso have all reported back to training.

On the other hand, it has been confirmed that former Spurs duo Harry Kane and Eric Dier are a part of Bayern’s traveling party to London. They will be presented with commemorative gifts by Spurs ambassador, Ledley King. Canadian star also returned to training last week, and that could be the reason why he starts tonight. However, German starboy Jamal Musiala could be a doubt for tonight’s game, as his match fitness is being called into question.

With the 2024/25 season almost upon us, both Spurs and Bayern will aim for a victory. This game could provide a brief glimpse into the tactics each coach plans to deploy in the season ahead.