Southampton add tests with European heavyweights ahead of Premier League return

Southampton's preparations for their return to the Premier League will conclude with tests against two big names in European football, after Saints added two home pre-season fixtures to their schedule.

Russell Martin's team will go up against two-time Serie A champions and seven-time Coppa Italia winners Lazio and then LaLiga outfit Getafe, as they look to finalize their squad for the domestic kickoff.

Those two fixtures have been added to round out their schedule, as Martin prepares for his first attempt at the top tier.

Adam Armstrong scored the only goal of the game to send Saints back to the Premier League at the end of last season — an impressive feat given their poor form in the early part of the campaign, which saw manager Martin come under intense scrutiny.

The 38-year-old was appointed in June 2023 after Southampton were relegated from the EPL, finishing bottom of the table.

Ahead of his top-flight debut as a coach, Martin has put together a varied pre-season schedule, which begins against local neighbors Eastleigh on July 19 and then takes in a tour to Spain, where Saints will play friendlies against French clubs Bordeaux and Montpelier behind closed doors.

After finishing up against Lazio and Getafe at home, they will then head to Newcastle for the start of the Premier League season on Saturday, August 17.

With two more fixtures on the slate, here's the full Southampton pre-season schedule:

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Southampton pre-season schedule of matches