Both relegated to the second tier last season, Segunda Division side Cadiz meet Championship club Burnley on Sunday.
As they prepare for the long campaign ahead, the pair convene for a pre-season friendly at Estadio Antonio Barbadillo in Arcos de la Frontera.
Match preview
© Reuters
Following their demotion from the Premier League after just one year back in England's top flight, it has been all change at Burnley, with manager Vincent Kompany and his assistant Craig Bellamy leaving for Bayern Munich and the Wales national team respectively.
Championship specialist Scott Parker was subsequently hired to take the Clarets straight back up, and he has already been busy in the summer transfer window.
Having faced Barnsley, Celtic, Hearts and Newcastle United in behind-closed-doors matches at their training ground, in the penultimate game of their pre-season schedule, Burnley drew 0-0 with newly-promoted La Liga side Leganes last Sunday, when Josh Cullen came closest to scoring by striking the crossbar.
Ex-Bournemouth boss Parker then took his squad to Spain for a week-long training camp, which will end with Sunday's game against Cadiz.
An opening-day trip to fellow relegated side Luton Town then awaits the Clarets on Monday, August 12, as the Championship season gets under way.
© Reuters
Like their opponents, Cadiz have a new face in the dugout, as former Levante coach Paco Lopez replaced Mauricio Pellegrino following the club's demotion from La Liga.
The Andalucian side's four-year stay in Spain's top flight came to a close on the penultimate weekend of the 2023-24 campaign, ending their longest run at that level since the early 1990s.
Needing to beat Las Palmas in order to take their fight down to the final week, El Submarino Amarillo were held to a goalless draw on home soil; then, with relegation confirmed, they went out with a whimper by being smashed 6-1 at Almeria.
Just six wins from 38 matches - which also featured a league-high 15 draws - saw them consigned to the drop, and Lopez must now aim to produce a promotion push.
Cadiz have drawn with Blackpool, beaten Al Jazira and lost to Recreativo de Huelva in pre-season so far, and ahead of their first Segunda Division fixture against Real Zaragoza, they are scheduled to meet Burnley, Real Betis and then Lazio.
- D
Team News
© Reuters
After his post-Euro 2024 leave came to an end, Swiss striker Zeki Amdouni has joined up with the Burnley squad in Spain and may be handed some minutes this weekend, having taken part in training.
While several other players left the club this summer - including Jack Cork and Johann Berg Gudmundsson - the loans of Mike Tresor and Maxime Esteve have been made permanent, while Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury is back in the fold following his loan spell at Hull City.
Benin striker Andreas Hountondji has arrived from Caen, while ex-Ipswich Town goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky has effectively traded places with Arijanet Muric.
Cadiz, meanwhile, have also had to adjust to their new circumstances, moving on several men already and losing a number of loanees; one such player is Brazilian full-back Lucas Pires, who was subsequently sold by parent club Santos to Burnley.
Veteran campaigner Jose Mari is set to captain the side from midfield, while Roger Marti should support Chris Ramos up front.
Cadiz possible starting lineup:
Gil; Zaldua, Fali, Chust, Hernandez; Ocampo, Escalante, Alcaraz, Sobrino; Marti, Ramos
Burnley possible starting lineup:
Hladky; Egan-Riley, Esteve, O'Shea, Pires; Cullen, Berge; Tresor, Brownhill, Odobert; Foster
We say: Cadiz 1-1 Burnley
With both teams being reshaped under new managers, the priority will be to give players valuable pre-season minutes and increase match fitness. Therefore, it could turn out to be a low-key draw in the searing Andalucian heat.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
