Chelsea FC faces Manchester City on Saturday for a blockbuster (at least by preseason friendly standards) match at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. And when the two managers, Enzo Maresca and Pep Guardiola, shake hands you might think you’re seeing double.
As you can see, they’re not just former colleagues but also doppelgangers. It will be a meeting of teacher versus disciple, but also mirror images!
Manchester City vs Chelsea FC FYIs
Kick off: 5:30 pm ET, Sat. Aug 3, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Competition: club friendly, branded the “FC Series”
Starting XI Predictions: Chelsea Man City
TV: ESPN
Fun fact: the nickname of the venue where this match will take place is “the horseshoe” or just “the shoe” due to its overall shape.
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
When the games get going for real, and start to count, on Premier League opening weekend two weeks from now, these same two teams will comprise the headliner fixture. Last night saw Chelsea put in their best performance (by far) of the preseason.
After drawing with League One side Wrexham in the first match, and getting blown out by Celtic at Notre Dame, they routed Club America 3-0 in Atlanta.
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction at Manchester City
Robert Sanchez; Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Ben Chilwell; Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez; Raheem Sterling, Christopher Nkunku, Carney Chukwuemeka; Nicolas Jackson
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. 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, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.