Line-up, stats and where to watch as De Zerbi’s men begin Australasia tour
Roberto De Zerbi’s time at Tottenham continues to take shape on the other side of the world this weekend, with Spurs’ pre-season tour of Oceania to face Auckland FC at Eden Park.
The Lilywhites made the 25-hour trip south after opening pre-season with a 1-0 win over MK Dons, Mateus Fernandes marking his Tottenham debut with the winner in the first five minutes.
Tottenham are looking for a much improved campaign after finishing back-to-back in the Premier League, and De Zerbi has been able to name a strong 35-man squad, with summer arrivals Sandro Tonali, Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke and Martin Dubravka all included alongside established names such as James Maddison, Richorlillason and Richorlillason.
Auckland, on the other hand, came full of confidence as they are the champions of the A-League, defeating Sydney FC in the final.
They do not have a full-time coach, however, who will replace Steve Corica – expected to be Pedro Moreira – yet to be officially announced. Luka Casserly will manage the visit of Spurs.
Auckland FC chief executive Nick Becker said: “Regardless of what happens to Tottenham this season, they are still an incredibly high-quality club with a global following and we are delighted to have them here in Auckland too.”
It will be the first competitive game of any kind for the hosts since winning the title, and Tottenham arrive with just 90 minutes of pre-season football in their legs.
Team News for Auckland FC v Tottenham
Tottenham will be without Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, all of whom remain in their rehabilitation programs in England. Guglielmo Vicario has been left out as he looks to leave North London.
De Zerbi is also missing from the main World Cup squad, with Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr, Djed Spence and Marcos Senesi all given extra time off after their hard work at this summer’s tournament.
Whites striker Jesse Randall, Uruguay forward Guillermo May, Belgium midfielder Louis Verstraete and Australian defender Dan Hall have all left Auckland since the title-winning side with eight signings.
Expected to be the Auckland FC v Tottenham match
Auckland FC: Mud; Sakai, Vicelich, Carey, Pijnaker, Elliot; Howieson, Bayliss, Gallegos; Brook, Cosgrove
Tottenham: Kinsky; Gray, Davies, Van de Ven, Robertson; Tonali, Fernandes; Maddison, Gallagher, Tel; All of us
How to watch Auckland FC v Tottenham: TV and online streams
Auckland FC will face Tottenham on Sunday at 3pm local time (4am UK time) at Eden Park, New Zealand’s largest stadium with a capacity of 50,000.
The game is not shown on UK television. UK fans can stream the game live via SPURSPLAY, Tottenham’s official streaming service, which costs £45 a year (£35 for One Hotspur members) and will also feature highlights afterwards.
Auckland FC v Tottenham statistics
- Auckland FC won the 2025-26 A-League Grand Final, beating Sydney FC 1-0.
- The Black Knights finished top of the A-League in their inaugural 2024/25 campaign, winning 15 of their 26 games.
- This is Tottenham’s second visit to New Zealand, having visited in 1976
- Tottenham have lost just once in their last five pre-season games
Auckland FC v Tottenham prediction
Pre-season games like this are always tricky to call, especially with Auckland having not played a single minute since winning the title and Tottenham still finding themselves in good form under a new manager.
Spurs should have enough of them, however, with a squad that contains top Premier League quality and De Zerbi is expected to name a strong core team even in the middle of the rotation.
Prediction: Auckland FC 0-3 Tottenham
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