While friendlies may not be everyone’s cup of tea, this time of the year offers an opportunity to see fixtures which would never materialise in competitive football.
Over the years, there have been incredible mismatches, thrashings and almighty shocks.
Here, we take a closer look at eight absurd encounters from the past.
Plymouth 0-1 Real Madrid (2006)
Back in 2006, Plymouth hit the jackpot after accidentally striking a deal with Real Madrid for a pre-season fixture.
Los Blancos had left their pre-season preparations until the very last minute, only to discover that their favourite Austrian venue was booked out by another club – Plymouth Argyle.
After some deliberation, Ian Holloway’s side agreed to move elsewhere, but to his surprise, Fabio Capello’s side did agree to play one match as a token of gratitude.
Incredibly, Plymouth held their own and only lost 1-0 following a controversial penalty which was converted by Julio Baptista. Question is, when are we going to get a rematch?
Hibernian 0-6 Barcelona (2008)
In 2007, Scottish Premiership side Hearts organised a pre-season friendly with FC Barcelona at Murrayfield. Over 57,000 turned out as the Scottish side fell to a respectable 3-1 defeat.
A year later, Hearts’ arch rivals Hibernian didn’t want to be outdone, so they too organised a pre-season clash against the Catalan giants.
On this occasion, the match proved less of an exhibition and more of an execution as Lionel Messi’s men orchestrated a 6-0 demolition.
Histon 1-8 Real Sociedad (2013)
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