Chelsea's new journey under head coach Enzo Maresca kicks off at Levi's Stadium in the United States on Wednesday, July 25, as they face Wrexham in their first pre-season friendly.

Chelsea’s Fresh Start Under Maresca Begins | Home Win = 1.27

Chelsea enters this pre-season with a new head coach, Enzo Maresca, who recently guided Leicester City to promotion. After ending last season on a high note with a five-game winning streak, Chelsea managed to secure a spot in the Europa Conference League.

Despite this, the club's management opted for a change, parting ways with Mauricio Pochettino and bringing in Maresca. This friendly match against Wrexham is the first of several scheduled for Chelsea, including games against Celtic, Club America, Manchester City, and Real Madrid.

These matches are crucial for Maresca to evaluate his squad and implement his strategies ahead of the new season where there is sure to be a lot of pressure to do better than they did last season under Pochettino.

Wrexham's Impressive Pre-Season | Away Win = 8.00

Wrexham, famously known for their new owners, one of whom is Hollywood star, Ryan Reynolds, did an incredible thing last season by gaining promotion to English League One and now they look to prepare themselves for tougher opponents.

Managed by Phil Parkinson, Wrexham began their pre-season with a convincing 5-1 win over Hanley Town before travelling to the United States where they were tested by Premier League opposition, securing a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.

Following the match against Chelsea, Wrexham will head to Canada to face the Vancouver Whitecaps before wrapping up their pre-season against Fleetwood Town.

Key Players & Team News:

For Chelsea, this match is an opportunity to blend new like Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Renato Veiga and Tosin Adarabioyo with existing players and give young talents a chance to shine. Maresca will focus on building team cohesion and fine-tuning tactics for the upcoming season.

Wrexham, on the other hand, will look to build on their strong pre-season performances. Phil Parkinson will use this game to assess his squad's readiness for League One and further refine their strategies.

Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw = 6.40

The last competitive encounter between Chelsea and Wrexham was in 1982, with their most recent friendly ending in a 5-0 victory for Chelsea. | Specials Market: Home & Over 3.5 = 1.89

Wrexham’s draw with Bournemouth and their solid pre-season form suggest they could pose a challenge for the Blues. | Specials Market: Over 2.5 & Yes = 1.60

Chelsea have kept two clean sheets in their last 5 games while Wrexham have kept the same in their last 5 games. | Specials Market: Over 2.5 & No = 1.89

You can check out the Chelsea vs. Wrexham pre-season friendly on MSport here.

St Pauli, Champions of German Bundesliga 2, the second tier league competition after the Bundesliga, plan on testing their battle readiness against French Ligue 1 giants, Lyon in a pre-season friendly in Austria.

The game, scheduled to take place at the Silberstadt Arena Schwaz on Wednesday, will be used by both teams as a preparatory game as both teams gear up for their respective upcoming seasons with different ambitions and targets.

Lyon Look to Do Better Than a 6th Place Finish | Home Win = 1.65

St Pauli is set to compete in the Bundesliga for the first time since the 2010-11 season after winning the Bundesliga 2 title last season with an impressive 69 points from 34 matches.

However, the German club faces a new challenge after their promotion-winning head coach Fabian Hurzeler left for Brighton & Hove Albion over the summer. To fill the void, St Pauli appointed Alexander Blessin, who previously guided Belgian side Union SG to a second-place finish and a Belgian Cup victory.

Blessin's tenure with St Pauli began with a 3-1 win over Bremer SV but was followed by a 3-1 loss to Greuther Furth in a 120-minute friendly. With upcoming friendlies against Lyon, Norwich City, and Atalanta, Blessin will aim to build momentum and solidify his team's strategies ahead of their Bundesliga campaign.

St Pauli Eye Strong Bundesliga Return | Away Win = 4.30

Lyon are preparing for their first full season under head coach Pierre Sage, who was rewarded with a two-year contract after guiding the team from the bottom of the Ligue 1 table to a sixth-place finish last season. This performance secured Lyon a spot in the Europa League for the upcoming season.

Sage also led Lyon to their first Coupe de France final in 12 years, although they narrowly lost to Paris Saint-Germain. The French club started their pre-season preparations with a 3-2 win over Austrian side WSG Tirol.

Lyon's pre-season schedule includes friendlies against St Pauli, Torino, and Union Berlin, culminating in a match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Sage will use these matches to fine-tune his squad and integrate new tactics for the season ahead.

Key Players & Team News:

For St Pauli, new manager Alexander Blessin will try to get his players including new guys Scott Banks and Roberto Wagner to adapt quickly to his style and aim to find the right balance and cohesion to compete effectively in the Bundesliga.

Lyon's squad, under Pierre Sage, will try to test new signings like Moussa Niakhate, Abner, and Mame Balde, with the experienced ones with his eyes set on a successful Europa League run, Lyon will use this friendly to assess their squad depth and tactical approach.

Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw = 4.30

With both teams scoring, 14 goals in 5 games for Lyon, and 9 goals in 5 games for St Pauli, this friendly, which marks the first meeting between St Pauli and Lyon promises to be an intriguing contest. | Main Market: Over 3.5 = 2.27

St Pauli's recent form in pre-season has been mixed, with a win (3-1) and a loss (3-1) in their last two games so far. | Specials Market: O/U & GG/NG (Over 2.5 & Yes) = 1.78

Lyon, on the other hand, have started their pres-season on the perfect note with two (2) wins out of their two (2) games, (7-0, 3-2) and will look to continue their positive momentum. | Specials Market: Double Chance & GG/NG (Home/Draw & Yes) = 1.88

You can check out the St Pauli vs. Lyon pre-season friendly on MSport here.