Leagues Cup gets underway as Inter Miami prepare to pair Argentina teammates Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul

Hey there! The dog days of summer are well and truly here, marked as usual by European clubs continuing their overseas preseason tours and MLS shifting focus to Leagues Cup. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest as a new batch of games steals our attention in the middle of the week.

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All times U.S./Eastern

Wednesday, July 30🇺🇸🇲🇽 Leagues Cup: Inter Miami vs. Atlas, 7:30 p.m. ➡️ MLS Season Pass🇺🇸 USL Championship: Hartford Athletic vs. New Mexico United, 8 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network, Paramount+🌍 Friendly: Manchester United vs. Bournemouth, 9:30 p.m. ➡️ Peacock

Thursday, July 31🌍 Friendly: Arsenal vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 7:30 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network🇺🇸🇲🇽 Leagues Cup: Cruz Azul vs. Seattle Sounders, 10:30 p.m. ➡️ FS1

⚽ The Forward Line🇺🇸🇲🇽 Leagues Cup gets underway

The Leagues Cup makes its return this week, first with a batch of matches on Tuesday that included Toluca's win over reigning champions Columbus Crew on penalties. The action continues on Wednesday and Thursday, much of the attention on Inter Miami as superstar Lionel Messi welcomes another friend to South Florida.

Rodrigo De Paul, Messi's Argentina teammate, who is amusingly known as his bodyguard, officially joined the team over the weekend and could make his debut on Wednesday at home against Atlas. The 31-year-old may not necessarily be the archetypal player who leaves Europe to take it easy – he may provide some real value to Miami, who have ambitions of winning this tournament for a second time and collecting their first MLS Cup later this season. Even if the roster compliance situation may be confusing, Chuck Booth writes that De Paul actually fits the squad from a tactical perspective.

• Booth: "Adding such a dynamic presence will let Busquets pick up deeper positions on the pitch while protecting the defense. Miami have only kept one clean sheet in their last six matches, and while they did win four of those, dropping any points when chasing FC Cincinnati, the Columbus Crew and the Philadelphia Union, will mean not having advantageous seeding moving forward when it comes time for the MLS playoffs. De Paul isn't just a defensive midfielder; he can also link up play and rip a shot from distance, as shown by him having at least eight goals and assists in league play for Atleti during the last three seasons."

Messi and Jordi Alba will be back in the mix for Miami after serving a one-game suspension for opting out of the MLS All-Star Game, and both will be welcome additions for Miami – and not only because of their inherent quality. The Leagues Cup may still benefit from the luster of hosting Messi's first Inter Miami games but the competition comes with a sizable reward for the top three teams, who will qualify for the next edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup. That makes the competition especially important for Miami, who may need it as an insurance policy they cannot break into the CCC through MLS play.

This Friday and Sunday

🔗 Midfield Link Play🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur meet in Hong Kong

The preseason grind continues for Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, who will take part in the first edition of the North London Derby outside of the U.K. when they face off at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Sports Park on Thursday. Though the bragging rights are not the same in preseason as they are in competitive matches, the game will offer a unique lens at two teams in contrasting positions.

After three consecutive second place finishes in the Premier League, the Gunners hope they are finally putting together the finishing touches on a team that aims for major titles. Thursday's match could offer a chance for manager Mikel Arteta to hand forward Viktor Gyokeres his first minutes after completing a $74.2 million move from Sporting Lisbon, an especially important development because they are about to entrust the Sweden international with the task of fixing their most notable issue over the last few years. The Gunners were in desperate need of an out-and-out goalscorer and believe they have that in Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting, all while maintaining the defensive resolve that has been their defining feature during Arteta's five years with the team. Even before Gyokeres plays a game, though, the Gunners have built a squad that can compete at high levels – and force a certain confession out of rival manager Thomas Frank.

• Frank: "It's a great challenge. Besides being our biggest rivals and the first North London Derby outside the U.K., they are also right now one of the best teams, I must say, unfortunately, in the world. We also need to be honest. In that way it's going to be a big test, but it's more than a test as against Arsenal it's not only a friendly. Of course it's a game we will do everything we can to win."

Frank has a point -- while Arsenal are close to the finished product, Spurs are fairly far from it. The ex-Brentford manager is in the middle of his first preseason with the team, which has quietly been a bit hectic. Though the mixed results are not necessarily a sign of concern, since preseason scores are only so indicative of future success, things have not exactly gone according to plan in the transfer window. Frank's side were able to land Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United earlier this summer but missed out on Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, who opted instead to renew his deal with his current club. Son Heung-min may also be on his way out with MLS side LAFC reportedly advancing in their attempts to sign the South Korea international. It leaves Tottenham feeling incomplete for Thursday's match, which is not necessarily uncommon for a preseason friendly, or for a team working with a new manager, though it does raise questions about how high Spurs' ceiling actually is for the upcoming season.

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💰 The Back Line💵 Best bets

• Leagues Cup: Inter Miami vs. Atlas, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.💰 THE PICK: Lionel Messi to score the game's first goal (+245) – For the first time since April, Lionel Messi will have more than a week off from competition (all down to MLS' controversial suspension of the World Cup winner for skipping the All-Star Game, of course). He is always an impactful player but with that freshness in mind, Messi is likely to show up to ensure Inter Miami start the Leagues Cup on a strong note. A goal seems inevitable and while Miami's other efficient players might get on the scoresheet, it's reasonable to predict that Messi will beat them all to the punch.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don't miss out on CBSSports.com's betting home page.

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