Overview
After taking over Sydney FC in March, coach Patrick Kisnorbo quickly made his mark with a 7-match unbeaten streak, bringing the team to the A-League final. However, Sky Blues missed the opportunity to win their sixth championship in history when they lost to Auckland 0-1 by Cameron Howieson's only goal.
Sydney FC returned impressively in the round of 32 of the Australian Cup when they defeated Bayswater City 5-1, in which Tiago Quintal scored a hat-trick. Although it will not be until mid-October to enter the new A-League season, the representative of New South Wales province sees the match with Tottenham as a valuable opportunity to test their ability against a top European opponent.
The home team at Allianz Stadium also needs to improve their home record when they have gone through 6 consecutive matches without knowing the taste of victory in all competitions, with the last victory here being in February against Brisbane Roar.
On the other side, Tottenham is having a fairly smooth season preparation process under Roberto De Zerbi. The Premier League representative has successively defeated MK Dons and Auckland, scored 3 goals and kept a clean sheet in the last 2 friendly matches.
The 2-0 victory over Auckland at Eden Park attracted more than 40,000 spectators, setting a new record for the number of viewers of a football match in New Zealand. Dane Scarlett and Richarlison were the scorers, while young talent Luca Williams-Barnett continued to impress when given the opportunity to start.
After the break, De Zerbi brought on many key players such as Richarlison and new signing Mateus Fernandes to maintain the rhythm of the match. The Portuguese midfielder had previously also made his mark with a beautiful goal in his debut match against MK Dons.
Tottenham is having a vibrant summer with a series of new signings. After a disappointing 2025-2026 season in the Premier League, the London team aims to rebuild their force and regain their position under De Zerbi's leadership. The match against Sydney FC will be an opportunity for the Italian strategist to continue testing the squad before the official season kicks off.
Personnel situation
Sydney FC is likely to give Takahiro Sekine the opportunity to start for the first time after the Japanese defender made his official debut in the 5-1 victory over Bayswater City.
Jordan Courtney-Perkins are expected to partner with Sekine in defense after impressing and winning a starting spot under Kisnorbo last season. In attack, Sydney FC still mainly relies on local players, alongside Spanish striker Victor Campuzano, who has experience playing in La Liga for Espanyol.
On Tottenham's side, De Zerbi cannot have the services of long-term injured players including Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski, as all three are still in the process of recovering from knee injuries.
James Maddison and Destiny Udogie are participating in the summer tour but have not yet played because they need more time to regain their fitness. Meanwhile, newcomer Sandro Tonali is likely to make his first appearance after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Expected lineup:
Sydney FC: Hoefsloot, Grant, Popovic, Courtney-Perkins, Garuccio, Kamijo, Youlley, De Jesus, Quintal, Akon, Macallister.
Tottenham: Dubravka, Gray, Van Hecke, Davies, Robertson, Williams-Barnett, Gallagher, Yang, Donley, Moore, Richarlison.
The match between Sydney FC and Tottenham takes place at 4:45 p.m. on July 29 (Vietnam time).
