02 August 2017
Fresh from their tour of the United States, the Bianconeri take their pre-season preparations to English soil this Saturday (kick-off at 17.30 local time and 18.30 CEST), when they take on Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium, London.
After seeing off Paris Saint-Germain and Roma stateside, Massimiliano Allegri’s men will be hoping for a third win of the summer before meeting Lazio in the Italian Super Cup final on 13 August in Rome.
THE BASICS
Official name: Tottenham Hotspur
Year founded: 1882
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino
Last 10 Premier League finishes: 11th, 8th, 4th, 5th, 4th, 5th, 6th, 5th, 3rd, 2nd
HOTSPUR HISTORY
Founded in 1882 by a group of students and some members of Hotspur Cricket Club, Tottenham would go on to become a major force in English football, winning eight FA Cups, four League Cups and two English league championships (in 1951 and 1961).
In the last decade, Spurs have established themselves as a constant fixture within the top six teams in the English Premier League, while in the last two seasons they mounted serious title challenges, ultimately finishing third in 2015/16 and then second in 2016/17, thus securing automatic qualification for the Champions League on both occasions.
Testament to Tottenham’s rise is that no other Premier League team has won more matches in the last two seasons (45) or conceded fewer goals in the past campaign (26).
HAVEN’T WE MET BEFORE?!
On 26 July 2016, the Juventus and Tottenham crossed paths in an International Champions Cup match in Melbourne, as part of last season’s summer tour – a game they would go on to win 2-1 thanks to goals by Paulo Dybala and Medhi Benatia.
The Bianconeri blitzed Spurs’ backline from the off and quickly found themselves two goals up, when Paulo Dybala converted a fast, flowing move down the middle before Medhi Benatia headed home from a corner just 60 seconds later – the Moroccan’s maiden strike in the black and white.
Tottenham halved the deficit on 67 minutes, Erik Lamela finding the net from the edge of the area, but the damage had already been done in the first half and Juve successfully preserved their lead until the final whistle.
WEMBLEY STADIUM STATS
Wembley Stadium, as we know it now, was reopened after its rebuilding in 2007. The ground has a circumference of 1 km and a capacity of 90,000 people, including a 400-seater press box, 34 bars and eight restaurants.
The arch that hangs over Wembley – 133 m in height and 315 in radius – is the longest structure belonging to a single roof in the whole world and has become symbolic of London’s diverse city skyline.
The first Wembley Stadium had existed between 1924 and 2000 and most famously hosted the 1948 and 2012 Olympic Games and finals of the 1966 World Cup and European Championships in 1996.
The ground, both before and after its rebuilding, has hosted finals of the FA Cup, League Cup and promotion-deciding play-offs.
STATS AND FACTS
- This is Juventus’ first ever official match at Wembley Stadium.
- This is the second match in as many years that Juve play a pre-season match in London after beating West Ham 3-2 last August at the London Stadium.
- Tottenham played at Wembley in last season’s Champions League, beating CSKA Moscow, but losing to Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen, as they were eliminated at the group stage.
- The Bianconeri have won 12 of their 23 official matches played in England, drawing three and losing eight.
- John Jordan, Edgar Davids and Reto Ziegler are the only players to have been on the books of both Juventus and Tottenham.
