It’s been a busy offseason for AS Roma. After a fantastically successful season that saw Roma make it to the Champions League Semifinals, the club received offers they couldn’t refuse on midfielder Radja Nainggolan and goalkeeper Alisson. Nainggolan moved to Serie A rival Inter Milan for 38 million Euros back in June, while Alisson signed with Liverpool for over 70 million Euros last week. Rather than sit back and count their money though, the ownership at Roma has reinvested heavily in the club.
This offseason, Roma has spent nearly all the money they received from the two transfers. The club brought in midfielder Javier Pastore from Paris Saint Germain, forward Gregoire Defrel from Sassuolo, and youngster Justin Kluivert from Ajax. That has the club ready to challenge Juventus in Italy once more, and we will see them in action for the first time against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
The International Champions Cup brings some of the top clubs in Europe to cities around the world that normally don’t get to see top flight football. The match will take place at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California at 10:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 25, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN2.
International Champions Cup Betting at BookMaker.eu
Tottenham Hotspur +166
AS Roma +148
Draw +256
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
What to watch for
This will be Tottenham’s first match at the International Champions Cup. Spurs will be without all of their English players that were on the nation’s World Cup roster, as they are getting an extended time to rest and recuperate after the deep World Cup run. That means players like Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Kieran Trippier won’t be in action, and Harry Winks will stay in England to continue to recover from an injury as well.
Some starters will be available for Tottenham though. Christian Eriksen, Davinson Sanchez, and Son Heung-Min all flew to California with the team, and they are likely to eventually feature for Mauricio Pochettino.
Roma is going to be bringing over almost all of their starters, and that should give them an advantage in this match. Italy’s failure to reach the World Cup means that many of their players got to take extended time off in the summer, and they are ready to get back on the pitch. New players like Defrel, Pastore, and Kluivert will be joining the club too, and Roma will look to get them to gel with the current unit. The only thing missing on the trip will be a first-choice goalkeeper, as none of the three Roma are bringing figure to be first-choice options.
Tottenham Hotspur Player to Watch
Son Heung-Min came into his own for Spurs last season. When Kane went down with an injury, the club needed someone to fill the goal scoring void, and he was able to do so effectively. He ended up firing home 20 goals in all competitions last season, and he was constantly able to make his presence known on the pitch. Son had a great World Cup for South Korea, notching two goals, and he will be the focal point of the attack here.
AS Roma Player to Watch
Javier Pastore will be looking to revitalize his career at Roma. Pastore had some success in his first few years at PSG, but he gave way to others when ownership decided to go broke by adding Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. He didn’t see much action last season, and Roma will be hoping that he can rediscover his old form this year.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
I expect to see a lot of goals in this match. Without a top goalkeeper, Roma may allow a goal or two, but they will be able to score a few times as well because of the familiarity this group has with each other. Take Roma and the over.
International Champions Cup Odds: AS Roma 3, Tottenham Hotspur 2
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