Barcelona vs Arsenal
So SBOBET fans, what is the Joan Gamper Trophy and who was Joan Gamper?
Well, this is the match which pays homage to the founder of the club from Catalonia.
Gamper was a founding member, player and later president of Barcelona which holds this match annually in the Nou Camp.
It also serves for the official presentation of the team in front of the fans ahead of the new season.
Talking Points
That means a likely first glimpse for the majority of Barca fans of big summer signing Antoine Griezmann – a move, depending on who you believe, illustrates a lack of long-term vision at the club.
Not that the majority of fans will feel like that. They will be excited to see their new guy in action and, of course, another key new arrival in young midfielder Frenkie De Jong who has made a positive first impression.
Joan Gamper Trophy highlights will be more likely with those two involved and the likely first pre-season action of Argentina forward Lionel Messi, Uruguay man Luis Suarez, Brazil midfielders Arthur Melo and Philippe Coutinho, and Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal, who were all delayed returning to training after international duty in the 2019 Copa America.
After this contest, Ernesto Valverde’s squad will fly to the United States for two friendlies against Italian club Napoli but this will be an ideal chance for the manager to ease them back into the first team.
Barca have won each of the last six Trophy encounters, stretching back to a defeat to Sampdoria in 2012, while the last English opponents were Manchester City in 2009.
Milan, Bayern Munch and Rome have been among the opponents in recent years, along with Brazilian side Chapecoense, less than a year after tragedy beset the club, Boca Juniors and Santos.
Being closer to the start of their domestic league than Barcelona, Arsenal may well be in better shape for this and have shown glimpses of their potential in pre-season, particularly in the International Champions Cup where they held Barca’s arch rivals Real Madrid before being narrowly defeated on penalties.
It could also be a first chance to see Nicolas Pepe in action after he signed from Lille for a club record £72 million.
Pépé scored 22 goals in the French league last season, second to Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé, and provided 11 assists.
Pepe is a direct goalscoring threat and, even if defence remains their main concern, should instantly make Unai Emery’s first XI better as he teams up with the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the joint top scorer in the English top flight last term.
Despite that excitement, Arsenal go into this season with their place among the Premier League’s elite looking no more secure than a year ago. It is a measure of how expectations have gradually slipped but they are hoping a reconnection with the past will restore some balance. Freddie Ljungberg has been promoted to assistant first-team coach while Edu’s arrival as technical director is a potential canny move.
Likewise, Barcelona have offered the general manager role at Camp Nou to club legend Carles Puyol after the job was recently vacated with the departure of Pep Segura.
Yet putting all that to one side, most of the focus on this occasion will be the chance for Barcelona stars to shine in front of their adoring fans, especially in honour of the man who made it all possible.
History
Considering they had not met until the turn of the century, both these sides have locked horns aplenty in recent years – usually with the same outcome.
Indeed, Arsenal have only won one of their nine competitive meetings since 1999, and even then Barcelona triumphed in the two legged tie.
That was in 2011 when Robin van Persie and Andrei Arshavin sealed a famous 2-1 win at the Emirates.
However, three weeks later Barcelona triumphed 3-1 in the Nou Camp to record a 4-3 aggregate success, helped by two goals in three minutes from Xavi and Messi.
It was the closest Arsenal have ever got to defeating the Catalans.
Their first ever meeting at the Nou Camp in September 1999 ended 1-1 when Nwankwo Kanu cancelled out an opener from future Barca boss Luis Enrique.
The player with the most goals between these two sides is Argentine superstar Messi who has nine goals in all of his six encounters against the English side.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
