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Real Madrid at the ICC 2018: The pre-season fixtures in full

By Sachin Bhat

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale (R) heads the ball away from Manchester City defender Danilo during their International Champions Cup (ICC) football match on July 26, 2017 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. / AFP PHOTO / RINGO CHIU (Photo credit should read RINGO CHIU/AFP/Getty Images)
Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale (R) heads the ball away from Manchester City defender Danilo during their International Champions Cup (ICC) football match on July 26, 2017 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. / AFP PHOTO / RINGO CHIU (Photo credit should read RINGO CHIU/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Real Madrid will be in action in the United States once again with an intriguing set of friendlies lined-up for the pre-season. Here is a preview of what’s to come for the team this summer.

Real Madrid jet off to the States for the 2018 edition of the International Champions Cup as new manager Julen Lopetegui gets the wheels in the motion. While several first teamers are still recovering from the World Cup and may not feature in every game, this might serve to be an early preview of the Spaniard’s philosophy and ideology that would then be later exercised when the 2018/19 season kicks off.

Additionally, the Real Madrid fringe group have a chance to make an impression while new signings Vinicius Júnior and Álvaro Odriozola will be at the cynosure too.

Here are Real Madrid’s ICC fixtures in full:

#1 Manchester United vs Real Madrid (31st July)

SKOPJE, MACEDONIA – AUGUST 08: Gareth Balea of Real Madrid is chased by Victor Lindelof of Manchester United during the UEFA Super Cup match between Real Madrid and Manchester United at Philip II Arena on August 8, 2017 in Skopje, Macedonia. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
SKOPJE, MACEDONIA – AUGUST 08: Gareth Balea of Real Madrid is chased by Victor Lindelof of Manchester United during the UEFA Super Cup match between Real Madrid and Manchester United at Philip II Arena on August 8, 2017 in Skopje, Macedonia. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Real Madrid via Getty Images) /

This is turning into an ICC fest now. The European rivals first met in the event in 2014 in the record-setting game at Ann Arbor’s Michigan Stadium, before clashing again last year.

After another 12 months apart, they meet again. But to go by the past precedents, the latest clash has the distinct possibility of turning into a vapid one. For neither Real Madrid nor Manchester United have done anything in the previous meetings to live up to the frenzy that it whipped up in the day.

Hosted at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, this will be the first pre-season game for Los Blancos and expect a very young side to take to the field, including the new arrivals, who’d be making their unofficial debuts.

#2 Real Madrid vs Juventus (4th August)

MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 11: Luka Modric of Real Madrid (R) fights for the ball with Blaise Matuidi of Juventus (L) during the UEFA Champions League 2017-18 quarter-finals (2nd leg) match between Real Madrid and Juventus at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on 11 April 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN – APRIL 11: Luka Modric of Real Madrid (R) fights for the ball with Blaise Matuidi of Juventus (L) during the UEFA Champions League 2017-18 quarter-finals (2nd leg) match between Real Madrid and Juventus at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on 11 April 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images) /

This is not a Champions League clash, not as it was staged at the Santiago Bernabéu this past season. Yet, the mere sight of watching Cristiano Ronaldo go against Real Madrid for the first time since his departure, even in an unofficial game like this, would spark a whit of intrigue in the aficionados.

Portugal’s early elimination from the World Cup means the former Blancos number seven (it still feels so strange hearing this, doesn’t it?) has had enough time to recuperate and might feature at the FedExField as it’s also Juve’s last game in this year’s ICC.

Expect the reigning European champions to play a strong line up in this one with most of the first team stars featuring in the starting XI.

Next: How big of a role will Marco Asensio have with Real Madrid this season?

#3 Real Madrid vs AS Roma (7th August)

Gareth Bale of Real Madrid duels for the ball with Mohamed Salah of AS Roma during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, 2nd leg, football match between Real Madrid CF and AS Roma on March 8, 2016 at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain. Photo Manuel Blondeau/AOP Press/Corbis (Photo by AOP.Press/Corbis via Getty Images)
Gareth Bale of Real Madrid duels for the ball with Mohamed Salah of AS Roma during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, 2nd leg, football match between Real Madrid CF and AS Roma on March 8, 2016 at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain. Photo Manuel Blondeau/AOP Press/Corbis (Photo by AOP.Press/Corbis via Getty Images) /

Real Madrid concludes the US trip with a date with another Serie A outfit in AS Roma. The sides last met in competitive play back in 2016 in the Champions League where Los Blancos emerged 4-0 triumphant on aggregate en route to clinching the Undecima.

However, at the start of the season, the sides locked horns in this very competition for the first time, but in Australia.

MetLife Stadium will be hosting this fixture and Lopetegui might once again play to full strength considering this is the last preseason match before the season’s first official game against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Supercup.

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