The 2017 International Champions Cup got underway at the weekend, with this year’s competition hosting only the very best teams from around the world. Despite the likes of Champions League winners Real Madrid, rivals Barcelona and Premier League giants Manchester United and Manchester City all in action, it is Bayern Munich’s encounter with Arsenal that takes priority on Wednesday 19th July. With the two teams having met on numerous occasions over the past few years in the Champions League, Arsene Wenger’s men will be hoping to gain some sort of revenge over their Bundesliga nemesis. With many expecting an entertaining encounter in Shanghai, bookmakers are offering odds on this friendly fixture. Let’s take a look at the two teams, as well as our top betting tip for the match.
Bayern Munich
Bayern have already claimed some silverware during pre-season thanks to two victories over German rivals Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side having picked up where they left off from their last campaign. New signings Corentin Tolisso and James Rodriguez made their debut for Bayern at the weekend, and could well start against Arsenal.
Elsewhere, the attacking threat of Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and Franck Ribery ensure that Bayern are always a threat in front of goal. Having won the Bundesliga title last season by a massive 15 points, Bayern have proven themselves to be one of Europe’s finest clubs, with their recent arrivals only likely to improve their strength in depth.
Arsenal
Having put rumours surrounding his future at the Emirates Stadium to bed over the summer, Wenger will be looking to ensure that his Arsenal team are more prepared than ever for the start of the new football season. Having suffered heavy defeats at the hands of Bayern last season, the Gunners will perhaps be out for revenge this time around. Alexandre Lacazette scored on his debut for the club in Australia, and could well feature from the start in China.
However, with Alexis Sanchez still absent following his Confederations Cup exploits for Chile, they may still be missing something in attack. However, Arsenal historically do not find goal scoring during pre-season any sort of problem, having found the back of the net three times against the Western Sydney Wanderers.
Top Betting Tip
Given the fact that both teams will still be finding their feet in terms of the new season, it could well be that neither side fire on all cylinders. Despite this, given their success so far in pre-season, our top betting tip for the match is to back Bayern Munich to come away with a win. With best odds of 5/6 from bookmakers William Hill, this is certainly worth taking advantage of.