Arsenal will host Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, August 6, in an Emirates Cup pre-season friendly that will see Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso, two former Premier League midfield stalwarts, go head-to-head as managers.

This match offers both teams a chance to fine-tune their squads ahead of the upcoming season, a season where Alonso’s team would try to defend their Bundesliga title while Arteta’s Gunners give the EPL title another go.

Arsenal: Fine-Tuning for a Title Challenge | Home Win = 1.80

Arsenal recently wrapped up their USA tour with a narrow 2-1 defeat to Liverpool. Despite the loss, Arteta's squad has shown promising signs in their pre-season fixtures.

With victories over Preston North End and Manchester United, and a penalty shootout win against Bournemouth, the Gunners are keen to build momentum for the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.

The match against Liverpool highlighted Arsenal's potential and areas for improvement. Harvey Elliott's brilliance for Liverpool saw them take an early 2-0 lead, but Kai Havertz pulled one back for Arsenal. Despite their efforts, the Gunners couldn't break through Liverpool's solid defence in the second half.

Now back in North London, Arsenal are preparing for their penultimate pre-season match. They will host Lyon next in the Emirates Cup on August 11, marking the traditional start of their season. Arteta will likely field a strong team against Leverkusen, aiming to integrate new signings and returning international stars.

Bayer Leverkusen: Building on Last Season's Success | Away Win = 3.80

Bayer Leverkusen, under the leadership of Xabi Alonso, is coming off a stellar season where they clinched the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles. Alonso, who has transformed Leverkusen into a dominant force, brings his team to England after a mixed pre-season.

They secured a 2-1 victory over Rot-Weiss Essen and played out a 2-2 draw with Lens. Leverkusen's pre-season preparations have seen them steady their form, and they will aim to put on a strong performance against Arsenal.

This match will be a key test for Alonso's squad as they prepare for the new Bundesliga season as defending champions and aim to maintain put up a decent performance in their first UEFA Champions League appearance in a while.

Key Players & Team News

Arsenal have bolstered their squad with the signing of Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna, and he could feature for the first time against Leverkusen. Euro 2024 finalists Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Aaron Ramsdale, and David Raya have returned to training and may be involved in the match.

However, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu are sidelined due to injuries. Young talents like Ayden Heaven and Ethan Nwaneri have impressed in pre-season but are unlikely to start.

Leverkusen will be without full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo, who are still on post-Euros breaks. Matija Marsenic is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury and won't feature. Jonathan Tah, linked with a move to Bayern Munich, played against Lens and is expected to travel to London.

Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw = 4.00

Arsenal are unbeaten against Bayer 04 Leverkusen from their two (2) previous meetings in the 2001-02 Champions League season which saw a 1-1 draw in Germany and a 4-1 victory for Arsenal at Highbury. | Specials Market: Home/Draw & Over 2.5 = 1.97

Bayer Leverkusen have scored at least two (2) goals in three (3) of their last five (5) games in all competitions. | Specials Market: Draw/Away & Over 2.5 = 3.55

Three (3) of Arsenal’s last five (5) games in all competitions have seen over 2.5 goals in total while four (4) of Bayer Leverkusen’s last five (5) games have seen over 2.5 goals in total. | Main Market: Over 3.5 = 2.30

You can check out the Arsenal vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen Preseason game on MSport here.

As part of their pre-season preparations, Inter Milan will face Al Ittihad at U-Power Stadium in Monza on Wednesday night. This friendly match will see the Serie A champions test their mettle against the Saudi Pro League giants.

Serie A Champions Preparing for Another Dominant Season | Home Win = 1.26

Inter Milan, fresh off a dominant Serie A campaign where they finished 19 points clear at the top, are gearing up to defend their title. Under the guidance of Simone Inzaghi, the Nerazzurri have transformed into a powerhouse, winning 104 of his 158 matches in charge. Inter are also eyeing success in this season's revamped Champions League.

Star striker Lautaro Martinez, who scored 24 goals in 33 league appearances last season and was the top scorer for Argentina in their Copa America triumph this summer, remains a key figure for Inter after his contract extension. Despite the departures of experienced players like Alexis Sanchez and Juan Cuadrado, Inter remain a formidable force.

Inter's pre-season has been promising, with the team remaining unbeaten in their first four matches. However, they had a close call against Serie B side Pisa, needing a late equalizer from Yann Aurel Bisseck to avoid a surprise defeat.

Al Ittihad: Look to Rebound Under New Boss After Tough Season | Away Win = 9.40

Al Ittihad, champions of the Saudi Pro League in the 2022-23 season, had a challenging 2023-24 campaign, finishing fifth and missing out on both the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup. The arrival of Karim Benzema last summer was expected to boost their fortunes, but the Frenchman scored only nine goals in 21 league appearances.

New manager Laurent Blanc, who previously managed Lyon and Al-Rayyan, has been tasked with reviving Al Ittihad's fortunes. The team has struggled in pre-season, losing to Elche, Sevilla, and Real Betis. They will be keen to secure their first win of the summer against Inter.

Key Players & Team News

Inter Milan will be without new signing Mehdi Taremi, who is sidelined with a thigh injury. Tajon Buchanan is also unavailable, having spent much of the summer with the Canadian national team at Copa America.

Hakan Calhanoglu, who came off the bench against Pisa, may start, while Davide Frattesi, will be pushing for his first start.

Al Ittihad will miss full-back Ahmed Bamsaud due to a cruciate ligament injury. Abderrazak Hamdallah, who scored 19 goals last season, remains a key threat for the Saudi club.

Match Stats & Betting Odds | Draw = 5.80

Inter Milan have a strong track record in pre-season going unbeaten in the four (4) games they’ve already played and will look to maintain their unbeaten run. | Specials Market: Home & Over 3.5 = 2.37

Al Ittihad have scored in all but one of their last five (5) games in all competitions and look likely to score again. | Specials Market: Over 2.5 & Yes = 2.08

There have been three (3) over 2.5 goals in Inter’s last five (5) games in all competitions while Al Ittihad has seen four (4) over 2.5 goals in their last five (5) games in all competitions. | Main Market: Over 3.5 = 2.14

You can check out the Inter Milano vs Al-Ittihad Preseason game on MSport here.