Tottenham Hotspur begin their overseas summer tour with a trip to the largest city in New Zealand; Auckland. This weekend will see Spurs take on Auckland FC, not the strongest team on the planet by any means, but they are among the top clubs in New Zealand.
Tottenham are currently dealing with a few injury absences (haven’t they always been the past two seasons?) and some players on post-World Cup holiday leave. However, they still have plenty of quality players raring to go right now.
Tottenham Preseason Tour of the Pacific
July 26 Auckland FC (Auckland)
July 29 Sydney FC (Sydney)
August 1 Chelsea (Sydney)
Preseason in New Zealand FYIs
Tottenham Hotspur vs Auckland FC
Detailed List of Injury Updates: go here
Tottenham Team News: go here
Date: Sun. July 26, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand
Time: local kickoff 3pm, 4am UK time
So with that in mind, let’s take a look at who manager Roberto de Zerbi might pick for his first team in this international friendly. We predicted he’ll go with the stellar all-Dutch central defense as well as the transfer fee record-breaking midfield pair.
Then expect more of the reserves and kids to come on at halftime.
Tottenham Predicted Starting XI at Auckland FC
Antonin Kinsky; Archie Gray, Micky van de Ven, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson; Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Conor Gallagher; Mathys Tel, Richarlison, Dominic Solanke
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.