Brighton & Hove Albion will kick off their preparations for the 2022-23 Premier League season with a friendly against Belgian outfit Union SG on Saturday evening.
The Seagulls are building towards their league opener against Manchester United on August 7, while Union SG will start their Belgian First Division A season against Sint-Truiden on July 23.
Match preview
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Brighton enjoyed an impressive 2021-22 Premier League season, finishing in ninth position in the table, just five points behind seventh-place West Ham United, who qualified for the Europa Conference League.
The Seagulls will believe that they can push closer to the top seven in the coming season, and they have already made two attacking signings this summer, bringing in Julio Enciso and Simon Adingra.
Yves Bissouma has been their major outgoing this summer, with the midfielder joining Tottenham Hotspur, but there is expected to be more movement, both in and out, before the transfer window closes.
Brighton have a busy pre-season schedule, taking on Estoril, Reading, Brentford and Espanyol in their four matches after this one, before starting their league campaign against Man United on August 7.
Graham Potter's side will also take on Newcastle United, West Ham United, Leeds United and Fulham in the opening month of the season, and they will want to be in a strong position in the table before the campaign is halted in November for the 2022 World Cup.
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Union SG, meanwhile, have already played three friendlies this summer, beating Rebecq and Deinze in their opening two pre-season games before drawing 2-2 with Racing Union Luxembourg.
The Belgian outfit will play Brighton and Feyenoord in their final two friendlies before opening their league campaign away to Sint-Truiden on July 23.
Last season, Karel Geraerts's side finished second in the Belgian First Division A, but they have won the top division on 11 previous occasions, with their last success coming back in 1935.
Union SG have been busy this summer in terms of incomings, with Ross Sykes among those to arrive; the 23-year-old has joined from League One outfit Accrington Stanley and could feature against Brighton here.
Meanwhile, Dennis Eckert Ayensa and Arnaud Dony are among those to move to the Belgian outfit during this summer's transfer window.
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Team News
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Brighton are expected to have a strong squad available for this contest, and Potter could name different XIs for each half of Saturday's pre-season fixture.
Marc Cucurella is likely to start despite the transfer speculation surrounding him this summer, while Lewis Dunk should captain the Seagulls from the middle of the defence.
Danny Welbeck and Neal Maupay are set to feature in the final third of the field, while Adam Lallana and Moises Caicedo could be joined by Pascal Gross in the middle of midfield.
Encisco and Adingra are also in line to make their debuts for the Premier League side.
As for Union SG, recent arrivals Sykes, Ayensa and Dony could be in their starting XI on Saturday, while fellow new arrival Lazare Amani could also feature from the first whistle.
Like Brighton, the visitors will want to make full use of their squad, but they are further ahead in terms of their preparations for the new campaign, so there might not be two different XIs for each half.
Sykes should line up in the middle of the defence for the Belgian outfit, while Ayensa is expected to start in a three-man attack for Geraerts's side.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Lamptey, Dunk, Webster, Cucurella; Gross, Caicedo, Lallana; Trossard; Welbeck, Maupay
Union SG possible starting lineup:
Moris; Nieukoop, Boone, Sykes, Dony; Nielsen, Teuma, Puertas; Ziani, Vanzeir, Ayensa
We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Union SG
Union SG are a lot further ahead than Brighton in terms of their preparations for the new campaign, so they will provide competitive opposition for the Seagulls on Saturday. The home side have superior quality in their squad, but we are expecting a tight match to finish level this weekend.
Matt Law
