Aston Villa face Porto this Saturday at the Estadio do Dragao in a pre-season friendly that kicks off at 8pm UK time – a formidable test for Unai Emery's squad ahead of their Champions League campaign. UK fans can watch exclusively via VillaTV, with no terrestrial or satellite coverage.
The match comes after a whirlwind of transfer activity. Morgan Rogers departed for Chelsea in a British-record £117 million deal, prompting Villa to secure Alejandro Garnacho on a season-long loan from the same club and sign Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi for a club-record £59.5 million. Porto have also been busy, adding South Korean midfielder Hwang In-beom from Feyenoord for around £3.5 million and confirming the return of 17-year-old forward Cardoso Varela on a three-year deal from Dinamo Zagreb.
“Aston Villa face Porto on Saturday after selling Rogers for £117m and signing Garnacho and Manzambi; Spurs also play Auckland FC.”
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur continue their pre-season campaign Down Under against Auckland FC. The friendly offers Spurs a chance to build momentum as they prepare for the new season, with both clubs using these fixtures to integrate new signings and test fitness.
