Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White celebrates/ XINHUASporting vs Nottingham Forest
[Estádio José Alvalade, Friday, 3 pm]
Nottingham Forest continue their preparations for the 2026/27 Premier League campaign with arguably their toughest pre-season assignment yet as they lock horns with Portuguese champions Sporting.
Sporting have looked every inch a side ready to defend their domestic crown. Rui Borges' men have breezed through pre-season with three emphatic victories over top European opposition, dispatching Celtic 4-1, Strasbourg 7-0 and Monaco 2-0 in a ruthless display of attacking football.
The Lions have coped remarkably well with a summer of significant change. Despite losing key figures Morten Hjulmand and Geovany Quenda, Chelsea loanee Jesse Derry and exciting youngster Rafael Nel have seamlessly slotted into the frontline, ensuring Sporting have barely missed a beat.
Forest, meanwhile, head into the final days of their 12-day training camp in Portugal still unbeaten this summer. Oliver Glasner has used the friendlies to fine-tune his preferred 3-4-2-1 system, overseeing victories over Notts County (2-0) and Blackburn (3-0) before a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Vitória.
The Reds have shown encouraging signs, but Friday's contest represents a considerable step up in quality. With fixture congestion forcing Glasner to carefully manage his squad.
One player who has caught the eye is striker Igor Jesus, who has hit the ground running with three goals in his opening three appearances and will once again spearhead Forest's attack.
Prediction: Sporting 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Juventus vs Nice
[Juventus Training Centre, Friday, 7 pm]
Expect a tactical chess match rather than a goal fest when Juventus and Nice meet in Turin, with both sides placing defensive discipline at the heart of their pre-season preparations.
Luciano Spalletti has wasted little time stamping his authority on Juventus, building a side founded on defensive resilience and controlled possession.
The Bianconeri have yet to concede in pre-season, drawing 0-0 with Basel before edging Standard Liège 1-0.
While Juventus have looked well-drilled at the back, squad rotation is expected as they continue to manage workloads ahead of their summer tour.
Nice arrive in Italy in confident mood after back-to-back wins over Nîmes (4-0) and Marseille (3-0), scoring seven unanswered goals in the process. Their high-tempo attacking approach has yielded impressive results, but breaking down one of Italian football's most organised defensive units is an entirely different challenge.
The French outfit possess plenty of attacking quality, yet Juventus' compact shape and tactical discipline should make openings difficult to come by.
Prediction: Juventus 1-0 Nice
Birmingham City vs Barcelona
[St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, Friday, 9:45pm]
A glamour fixture awaits at St Andrew's as Birmingham City welcome Spanish champions Barcelona in what promises to be the standout attraction of Friday's pre-season schedule.
The match marks another significant step in Birmingham's ambitious rebuild under Knighthead Capital, while for Hansi Flick's Barcelona, it serves as the opening fixture of their England-based training camp at St George's Park.
The Blues head into the contest full of confidence after winning each of their five warm-up matches, seeing off Huddersfield (3-1), Solihull Moors (3-0), Burton Albion (1-0), Northampton Town (2-0) and Crewe Alexandra (2-1).
Chris Davies is expected to name a strong starting XI, with Jay Stansfield leading the line alongside new signing Luis Vázquez as Birmingham look to test themselves against elite opposition.
Barcelona, meanwhile, will be without several international stars still recovering after extended World Cup commitments. Nevertheless, all eyes will be on blockbuster summer arrival Karim Adeyemi, who is expected to make his first appearance in Barca colours.
Even with a rotated squad, Barcelona's technical quality should shine through, although Birmingham's confidence and intensity could ensure the visitors are made to work for victory.
Prediction: Birmingham City 1-3 Barcelona
