European football leagues to start new season on Friday

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) – The 2022-23 football season in England, France, Germany, and Türkiye will start with Friday's matches.

In the English Premier League, Arsenal will visit Crystal Palace at London's Selhurst Park.

Arsenal fans cannot wait to see several new faces against Crystal Palace.

This summer Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus, Ukrainian left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko and Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira moved to the Gunners.

Jesus and Zinchenko previously played for Manchester City, and Vieira was signed from Porto.

All of these are expected to make their Arsenal debut unless there will be injuries.

The Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal match will start at 1900GMT.

- French league to begin with Lyon vs. Ajaccio match

Olympique Lyon will take on Ajaccio in the Round 1 at home for the opening of the top-tier French Ligue 1.

The match at Decines-Charpieu's Groupama Stadium near Lyon will start at 1900GMT.

Lyon had many recruits in the 2022 summer transfer window as French midfielder Corentin Tolisso and his compatriot Alexandre Lacazette returned to the club.

Tolisso was a Bayern Munich midfielder in 2017-2022, while Lyon native Lacazette previously played for Arsenal.

In addition Argentine left-back Nicolas Tagliafico arrived Lyon from the Dutch club Ajax in July.

- Bayern Munich to face Eintracht Frankfurt in away match

The 2022 German champions, Bayern Munich will take on Eintracht Frankfurt in an away match as the 60th German Bundesliga will kick off.

The season-opener at Deutsche Bank Park will begin at 1830GMT.

This summer Polish star Lewandowski, who was a longtime Bayern Munich forward, joined Barcelona. The Bavarian club may lack him.

German defender Niklas Sule and French midfielder Tolisso also left Bayern Munich in July.

Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt, Senegalese winger Sadio Mane, French youngster Mathys Tel, Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, and Moroccan right-back Noussair Mazraoui were the Bayern Munich signings this summer.

Eintracht Frankfurt, who won the UEFA Europa League title in May, permanently signed Norwegian winger Jens Petter Hauge from AC Milan.

In addition to him, Eintracht Frankfurt also acquired Argentine forward Lucas Alario from Bayer Leverkusen, and signed German midfielder Mario Gotze.

Gotze, the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner, was a Bayern Munich midfielder in 2013-2016. He returned to his boyhood club Borussia Dortmund later.

He last played for PSV Eindhoven while in the Netherlands.

- Trabzonspor to face newly promoted Istanbulspor

Defending Turkish champions Trabzonspor will visit Istanbulspor in the Turkish Spor Toto Super Lig's season-opener.

This summer Trabzonspor strengthened their squad with Danish right-back Jens Stryger Larsen and Egyptian winger Trezeguet.

Trezeguet is familiar to Türkiye as he previously played for Super Lig clubs Kasimpasa and Medipol Basaksehir.

The 27-year-old left England's Aston Villa to be a Trabzonspor player in July.

Trabzonspor's opponents Istanbulspor were back to the Super Lig in June.

They last played in the top-tier Turkish division in the 2004-05 season.

The match at Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium will begin at 1800GMT.