Tony Kelshaw 
Arsenal have come under fire from their own supporters but can boost morale with a good effort against Bayern Munich in the International Champions Cup. The Gunners did well in this event 12 months ago and have taken a strong squad to the USA, while their opponents have the look of a team in transition.
Aberdeen still have work to do after conceding a last-gasp goal in their 2-1 Europa League win over Rovaniemi but should be up to the task in Finland. The Dons looked a cut above their opponents for long periods at Pittodrie and would have been emphatic victors with more clinical finishing.
Dillian Whyte can further enhance his claims for a heavyweight world title shot by taking out unbeaten Colombian Oscar Rivas in London. The Body Snatcher has only suffered one defeat in 26 pro fights, when going down to Anthony Joshua with the British and Commonwealth belts on the line in 2015.
Tunisia and Nigeria suffered heart-breaking semi-final defeats at the Africa Cup of Nations and Wednesday’s third-place play-off will be a test of their resolve. The Super Eagles have tried to play more enterprising football throughout the tournament, though, so the feeling is they will still be up for this.
Celtic were given a minor scare before coming from behind to beat FK Sarajevo 3-1 in the away leg of their Champions League qualifier, but should improve for that outing. The Hoops will now hope to make smooth progress in Glasgow and a more clinical display is on the cards.
Manny Pacquiao is fancied to inflict a first defeat on Keith Thurman when challenging for the WBA super welterweight title in Las Vegas. Pac Man may be in the twilight stages of his incredible career at the age of 40, but he remains a consummate professional and is coming off a fine win over Adrien Bonner.
Tottenham finished top of the table in last year’s International Champions Cup and can begin the defence of their trophy by edging out Juventus. Spurs beat two Italian teams 12 months ago, brushing aside Roma 4-1 and shading AC Milan 1-0, either side of a 2-2 draw with Barcelona.
Manchester United’s International Champions Cup clash with Inter Milan in Singapore could be a little more spicy than most pre-season fixtures. The Nerazzurri, now managed by former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, have been negotiating a possible transfer swoop for Red Devils striker Romelu Lukaku.
Novak Djokovic was our pre-tournament pick for Wimbledon glory and he is still fancied to win the final at the expense of Roger Federer. The 32-year-old Serbian superstar beat the Swiss ace in the 2014 and 2015 deciders at SW19 and has also won their three most recent head-to-head encounters.
Algeria had to go to penalties in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals and could be in for another long night when taking on Nigeria in the semis. Both of these teams have proved they are capable of showing plenty of resilience when under pressure and we’re expecting a tight tussle in Cairo.
Senegal got the nod in our pre-tournament Africa Cup of Nations preview and we’re sticking with them in the semi-finals against Tunisia. The Eagles of Carthage enjoyed an impressive quarter-final win over Madagascar, but the Lions of Teranga have looked far more solid overall during this tournament.
Amir Khan will be keen to enjoy a morale-boosting early win when returning to action against Australia’s Billy Dib in Saudi Arabia. Khan will be competing for the first time since suffering a sixth-round loss to WBC welterweight champion Terence Crawford in April and takes a huge drop in class.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will face each other in a mouth-watering Wimbledon semi-final. The last-four clash will be the 40th meeting between the two over a 15-year period, with Spaniard Nadal currently leading 24-15 over his Swiss counterpart.
Heavyweight prospects Daniel Dubois and Nathan Gorman will do battle in a fascinating British title bout at the O2 Arena on Saturday night. Both boxers are unbeaten and this promises to be an intriguing clash of styles, with the power of Dubois pitched against the technical ability of Gorman.