Editors' Picks: Kane makes Bundesliga bow as top Premier League teams set for battle
Last week saw the return of the Premier League, Ligue 1 and LaLiga, whilst this weekend sees Serie A and the Bundesliga joining the party for the first full house of Europe's top five leagues.
We have picked three games for you to keep a close eye on as we continue to figure out who will be the stars of the show this season.
Friday, August 18
Werder Bremen - Bayern Munich (21:00 CET)
The Bundesliga curtain-raiser is always a highly-anticipated affair, but more eyes are likely to be on Werder Bremen's clash with reigning champions Bayern Munich after the Bavarian giants signed Harry Kane (30) earlier this month.
The striker, having spent his career at Tottenham Hotspur where he was trophyless, had his first opportunity of winning silverware dashed during his side's German Super Cup 3-0 defeat to RB Leipzig last weekend.
Kane and everyone at Bayern will hope this is not a sign of things to come as Bayern go in search of a ludicrous 12th league title in a row and they start that campaign away in Bremen, who themselves will be trying to lift the Bayern curse having not beaten them since 2008.
Their season also started with a loss, like their opponents on Friday night. However, theirs was slightly more unceremonious - dumped out of the DFP Pokal by third-tier Viktoria Koln.
Naby Keita (28) was their big summer signing, arriving from Liverpool on a free transfer, but he will not feature on Friday night having picked up an injury in pre-season.
It feels very unlikely that Bremen will be able to break their run of nearly 15 years without a win over Bayern, but given the pressure on their opponents to start well and the spotlight on Kane, there may not be a better time to do it.
Saturday, August 19
Tottenham Hotspur - Manchester United (18:30 CET)
Manchester United will be very keen to take to the pitch on Saturday against Tottenham Hotspur, given the increasing noise over the future of Mason Greenwood (21) and their discourse surrounding a situation, which is blowing up in their hands due to a lack of leadership and integrity.
Their tone-deaf approach to his rehabilitation back into the squad after attempted rape and sexual assault charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in February has seen them put selfishness ahead of self-reflection. There is no doubt this story will run and run long after the decision, which is reportedly in its 'final stages', will be made.
Back to matters on the pitch, Erik ten Hag (53) only found new questions rather than answers following their tepid 1-0 win over Wolves on Monday night with a midfield three that looked porous and a strikeforce lacking creativity.
An even sterner test awaits them on Saturday evening with Spurs seemingly settled under their new coach Ange Postecoglu (57). Their 2-2 draw over London rivals Brentford on the opening weekend showed glimmers of positivity in a side without the talismanic Kane for the first time in a decade.
Postecoglu will be hoping to see more from Richarlison (26), who filled the void left by 'one of their own' this weekend, otherwise, they may be dipping back into the transfer market in search of a new number nine. United have made a similar acquisition in the guise of Rasmus Hojlund (20) from Atalanta this summer, but the Dane is unlikely to feature given a pre-season injury picked up with his former club.
There is certainly a shadow hanging over this fixture, which will be seen and heard in the stands on Saturday, as well as in punditry studios across the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but once the first whistle blows, it should be one of the most entertaining affairs we see all weekend.
Manchester City - Newcastle United (21:00 CET)
Manchester City head into the second round of Premier League fixtures with their first trophy in tow, having beaten Sevilla on penalties to lift the UEFA Super Cup.
They now face a Newcastle United side at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening - a new kick-off time slot for the Premier League - fresh off a 5-1 hammering of Aston Villa that has given their fans hope of another charge up the table, following their fourth-placed finish last season.
City, for their part, started the season serenely, dispatching newly-promoted Burnley 3-0 at Turf Moor, but the result was clouded by the news of Kevin De Bruyne (32), who is set for a long period away from the first team with a hamstring injury - a reoccurrence of the problem picked up in the Champions League final back in June.
Given their almost limitless riches with the backing of Abu Dhabi and the City Football Group, the De Bruyne problem can be eased with the inclusion of the likes of Phil Foden (23), but it will be an interesting side-plot to see how Pep Guardiola intends to play without their dynamic playmaker over the next few months.
Speaking of limitless riches, Saudi-backed Newcastle United have ambitions of lifting the Premier League title in the next few years, following a similar trajectory to that of the Citizens throughout the 2010s, and this will be an early litmus test for the Magpies to see how they stack up against the best after adding more talent throughout the summer, including Sandro Tonali (23), Harvey Barnes (25) and Tino Livramento (20).
A high-octane affair is to be expected - but will both owners get their money's worth? It's debatable whether they care either way.