The Real Madrid vs Manchester United International Champions Cup match will take place this Saturday, August 2, 2014 (1:00 PM Pacific) at the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, USA.
The European champions and current International Champions Cup titleholders are out of the competition. After a bland draw against Inter Milan and a disappointing loss against AS Roma, Real Madrid only have to go through the motions against Manchester United and then head back home. However, Los Blancos will still give their best on their last friendly. In order to keep testing youngsters and getting those starters in shape, Carlo Ancelotti can still use the 90 minutes to experiment before the upcoming European Supercup on August 12th.
On the other hand, Manchester United already qualified for the final and are awaiting to see who their rival will be. This match will definitely be attractive, since it’s considered one of Europe’s strongest rivalries. On top of that, the game could break a record in attendance, since both teams have a huge following in the U.S. and the stadium capacity is optimal for it.
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti surprised everyone when he put out a good chunk of his available starters against AS Roma. Their best football came from having them on the pitch, but it was obvious that they were out of competition form. With a few more days of training and a trip scheduled to Ann Arbor, it’s possible that Madrid will put out the same men that lost against AS Roma and maybe include Cristiano Ronaldo.
It’s still not known if CR7 is completely recovered from his injury, but he has been training by himself instead of with the group. Nevertheless, the Portuguese star is a complete professional and he strives to play always, regardless of his condition. Additionally, playing against the team that put him on the map will be something memorable and fantastic to watch.
Isco and Illarramendi haven’t exactly impressed everyone this preseason, but the coach is giving them a chance to speak on the pitch and demonstrate that they deserve a starting role. Both of them are almost assured to play against United and Isco will retain his false 9 role.
Benzema isn’t back yet and de Tomás or Sobrino are still a bit young, so the Spanish star will be responsible for creating chances in attack. With the exception of the Ronaldo doubt, Los Blancos will retain the 4-3-3 formation and look like this: Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Nacho; Illarramendi, Alonso, Modrić; Bale, Isco, Vázquez.
Manchester United
After a disastrous season, Louis van Gaal has arrived at Old Trafford to lead the team to their usual spot among Europe’s best. With a new kit deal with Adidas, the English side will see a good influx in cash and is looking to restructure the squad. It will be hard to convince top players to arrive to a team that won’t even participate in Europe this season, but the club has already signed two promising young players.
It has also shown the exit door to old legends like Ferdinand and Vidić. Nevertheless, United are already qualified to the final for this tournament. With threatening players like Rooney and Mata, the Red Devils have the means to break Madrid’s defense. Ander Herrera can also be important in this game, since he can control the midfield well and take away the ball from Xabi Alonso, Modrić or Isco.
The back line is probably United’s weakest spot, but considering it’s still preseason and Madrid have only scored one goal, it’s possible that the defenders will be able to handle any trouble.
Real Madrid vs Manchester United Prediction
While it’s unsure if both teams will put out all of their best men out there, it seems that at least they will play for a little while. That scenario is the one that will most likely provide us with a better quality game and hopefully some goals. Madrid have shown weakness in defense and a lack of accuracy and effectiveness in scoring, meaning that unless Bale has a good match, the team will suffer. On the contrary, United have good players in attack to outmatch Madrid’s defense. We won’t see too many goals, but we’ll probably see a good fight.
Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester United
Real Madrid vs Manchester United TV Schedule
The match will be televised on the Fox Network and ESPN Deportes on Saturday, 1:00 PM Pacific.
