Real Madrid vs AC Milan
Football fans are in for a real treat, particularly if you’re from the USA, as two of the most prestigious clubs in Europe are going to go at it at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, on Sunday.
The Club Friendly between Real Madrid and AC Milan is an opportunity for both clubs to prepare ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Real Madrid’s ins and outs are well documented here at SBOTOP, with the acquisition of Jude Bellingham taking the spotlight, and the young Englishman will be in action for Los Blancos for the first time.
AC Milan, meanwhile, had a modest window so far compared to Real Madrid, with their most notable signing being Christian Pulisic from Chelsea. The Rossoneri started their pre-season on a winning note, and they’re looking to build more momentum.
Building fitness and chemistry will be the priority for both sides rather than the result, but neither will want to lose, so the Club Friendly 2023 odds predict a close match.
Talking Points
It’s go time for Real Madrid
Much of the talk surrounding Real Madrid has been about their dealings in the transfer market and Kylian Mbappe, but now it’s time to focus on how they’ll perform on the field.
With Karim Benzema departing for the Saudi Pro League and Marco Asensio joining PSG, it remains to be seen who will lead the line for Real Madrid. As the team’s likely starting striker, Joselu will probably get his first start to join Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo up front.
The midfield is certainly their biggest strength, with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde, Dani Ceballos, Arda Guler, and Jude Bellingham.
Bellingham and Guler have reportedly won over their teammates and staff already. Besides showing off his work ethic, Bellingham is adapting well to his new life in Spain as he tries to learn Spanish, while Guler’s impressive solo goal in pre-season training made the rounds on the internet.
Fran Garcia is another player to watch out for because he adds to their full-back depth. The 23-year-old came through Los Blancos’ youth ranks, and he has spent the last three seasons at Rayo Vallecano.
Carlo Ancelotti is satisfied because the team got even stronger this summer. Any rival coach would want to be in his position because of the luxury that he has.
This pre-season, he can use different combinations to see what works best, although we feel that he’ll stick to his usual lineup against AC Milan and then bring on Bellingham, Garcia, and Guler off the bench.
Pulisic making a great first impression
Christian Pulisic immediately made his entry in the Club Friendly 2023 highlights reel during AC Milan’s dominant 6-0 victory against Serie D side Lumezzane on Thursday.
Within 20 minutes, Pulisic had assisted Tommaso Pobega on both of his goals, giving AC Milan a 2-0 lead. Junior Messias, Lorenzo Colombo, and Luka Romero then scored to round off the scoring.
The 24-year-old had been trying to find a way out of Chelsea since last season, and he got his wish by joining AC Milan. With Sandro Tonali leaving for Newcastle United, Pulisic will get the opportunity to establish himself as one of the team’s star midfielders.
Pulisic is the third-ever American to represent AC Milan, which paid around €22 million for his services. It’s also a bonus that he is reunited with some of his old Chelsea teammates, including Olivier Giroud, Fikayo Tomori, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
“Captain America” will wear the No. 11 vacated by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and fans are hoping that he’ll stay at his productive best moving forward.
History
Real Madrid and AC Milan will square off in a friendly for the first time since August 2021. The last time they faced off, the game ended in a goalless draw, primarily because Real Madrid weren’t clinical enough in the final third.
While their recent meetings have mostly been friendlies, these two sides have had their fair share of intense battles in the Champions League.
Their last Champions League meeting dates back to 2010-11 in the group stage, where Real Madrid won 2-0 in the first game and drew 2-2 in the reverse fixture.
Real Madrid are the winningest team in the competition’s history with 14 titles, while AC Milan are behind them with seven.
Both of them won their respective domestic leagues at the same time in 2021-22, but they didn’t have much luck last season, as Real Madrid finished second behind Barcelona by a considerable margin, whereas AC Milan finished fourth in Serie A.
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