Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United continue their pre-season tour with an exciting showdown in the United States this Saturday evening.
The Premier League sides meet in Florida, eager to impress an American audience, with an added layer of intrigue brought by the involvement of Julen Lopetegui.
Match Preview
While Wolves ended last season on a disappointing note, there’s a renewed sense of optimism at Molineux thanks to early signings Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Gomes, and Jorgen Strand Larsen. With Max Kilman now playing for Saturday’s opponents, Wolves are also bolstered by the return of Yerson Mosquera from his loan at Villarreal.
On their pre-season trip to Spain, Wolves secured a 1-0 victory over Como, a match shadowed by a controversial comment towards Hwang Hee-chan. They then clinched a 3-0 win over Bristol City in a behind-closed-doors fixture, setting the stage for their encounter with the Hammers.
Following this match, Wolves will face Crystal Palace and RB Leipzig before hosting Rayo Vallecano on August 10.
The Lopetegui Factor
All eyes will be on the reunion with Julen Lopetegui, who now manages West Ham after his stint with Wolves. Unlike his transfer-restricted tenure at Molineux, Lopetegui has spent over £65m at West Ham, bringing in Max Kilman and Brazilian prodigy Luis Guilherme.
West Ham began their pre-season with a 2-2 draw against Ferencvaros in Austria, coming back from a two-goal half-time deficit. They followed up with a 1-0 victory at Dagenham & Redbridge, now gearing up for their clash with Wolves in Jacksonville and another match against Palace.
Team News
Wolves will be without key players Jose Sa, Nelson Semedo, Joao Gomes, and Pedro Neto, who are representing their nations at Euro 2024 and the Copa America. Hwang Hee-chan, having missed training earlier this week, may only be fit enough for the bench. New signings Lima, Gomes, and Larsen are expected to feature, with Daniel Bentley likely to start as goalkeeper.
For West Ham, Alphonse Areola, Vladimir Coufal, Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen, and Michail Antonio are expected to be unavailable. The lineup will likely resemble the one from the Dagenham match, with Mohammed Kudus and Danny Ings anticipated to start.
Predicted Lineups
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup: Bentley; Doherty, Bueno, Mosquera, Ait-Nouri; Bellegarde, Lemina, Doyle; Sarabia, Larsen, Cunha
West Ham United possible starting lineup: Fabianski; Casey, Zouma, Kilman, Emerson; Potts, Ward-Prowse; Luis Guilherme, Kudus, Cornet; Ings
Tip: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 West Ham United
Both teams are ramping up their intensity, which should lead to a competitive match in Jacksonville. Despite the attacking talent on display, a low-scoring draw seems likely.
