If there was ever the perfect way for Real Madrid to begin the pre-season after winning the UEFA Champions League, it was by playing eternal rivals Barcelona. Los Blancos will take on the Catalans in Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, only the second time that an El Clásico will take place in the United States.
There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the game, with new Barcelona player Raphinha stating that Barcelona are a better team than Real Madrid, while Barcelona president Joan Laporta put up a gigantic ad in Las Vegas which read, “Don’t worry Merengues, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Not just that, the last time these two giants clashed off, Xavi’s side run riot, scoring four goals at the Bernabéu.
The Blaugrana have been very active in the transfer market, signing players like Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, and Franck Kessié. Real Madrid, meanwhile, secured the signings of Antonio Rüdiger and Aurélien Tchouaméni. They will be expected to make their unofficial debut for the club in the friendly Clásico.
What to expect from the game?
This match will be nothing short of a cracker. Barcelona have started their pre-season with a 6-0 drubbing of Inter Miami, with Raphinha shining in particular, scoring once and assisting two goals. Even though they failed to win the Europa League last season, Xavi did a very good job at resurrecting what once seemed like a sinking ship, a ship destined to go at the bottom of the ocean.
Being a Real Madrid fan, I would obviously hope for a Real Madrid win. But from a neutral perspective, and given it’s the first pre-season game for Carlo Ancelotti and Co., it will be fun to have goals galore in Las Vegas. This game will not, by any means, serve as a precursor to next season. In fact, neither of the three games will. Remember when Atlético Madrid won 7-3 in the 2019-20 pre-season, but Real Madrid managed to clinch the league?
Pre-season is all about prepping up for the new season by getting match-fit. It also serves a teaser for how good the new signings will be, which are Rüdiger and Tchouaméni in Real Madrid’s case. However, Karim Benzema will be absent because he arrived to training just a few days back. Dani Carvajal is also likely to miss the game after limping away from the training session on Friday due to problems in his left ankle.
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Real Madrid’s predicted line-up
Formation: 4-3-3
Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Antonio Rüdiger, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy; Casemiro, Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos; Eden Hazard, Fede Valverde, Vinícius Júnior