There is absolutely no denying that last season was a major disappointment for a Real Madrid side that fell short of expectations both at home in La Liga and in European competition. That’s why it’s no surprise that the team and its fans can’t wait to get the New Year underway. Real Madrid’s preseason schedule includes several top opponents with three games against Italian teams and two against English sides.
New manager Rafa Benitez will certainly have his hands full making important decisions – including whether to play the 4-3-3 or go with the 4-2-3-1. Benitez also has to decide what to do with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale up front, and there is no doubt he will use the preseason to figure some of these things out. Here is a breakdown of Real Madrid’s preseason schedule.
July 18th: Roma
Location: Australia
It won’t take long for Real Madrid to face a decent test as they get to play the team that finished second in the Serie A last season in the first matchup of the International Champions Cup. Francesco Totti scored the lone goal when these two met in last year’s competition and Real Madrid will be looking for redemption this time around. Roma only allowed 31 goals last season, so we’ll get a sense for Real Madrid’s quality up front in this one.
July 24th – Manchester City
Location Australia
These teams met twice in the 2012-13 Champions League with Real Madrid winning the first game 3-2 and settling for a 1-1 draw in the second game. It will be interesting to see how the two teams respond in this meeting as both clubs are looking for redemption following disappointing seasons. The Citizens have an explosive offense as their 83 goals last season were the most in the EPL. They’ll test Real Madrid at the back end. It’s an area where Real Madrid needs to improve as they allowed 38 goals last season, which was the fifth-most even though they finished second in La Liga.
July 27th – Inter Milan
Location: China
The International Champions Cup slate will continue in China where Inter Milan should provide another stiff challenge. Real Madrid will be looking to build some confidence and momentum early on and a win over a team led by a former coach would be an excellent step.
July 30th: AC Milan
Location: China
The final Serie A team on the schedule is coming off a tough year in the Serie A but that only means they will have more to prove as they attempt to turn things around. Milan should be a better squad than they were a year ago and that’ll provide another tough test for Real Madrid in China.
August 4th: Tottenham
Venue: Allianz Arena
Real Madrid will switch gears from the International Champions Cup to the Audi Cup at the start of August but the competition level should remain high. They’ll face a Tottenham team with something to prove in its first really meaningful preseason game.
August 5th – AC Milan or Bayern Munich
Venue: Allianz Arena
Real Madrid will play the following day regardless of whether it wins or loses against Tottenham with either the Audi Cup final or the third-place game against either AC Milan or Bayern Munich. While it might not appear to mean that much on the surface, this is a proud Real Madrid team that is looking to add some hardware as early on as possible with the chance to do it here.
August 9th: Valarenga
Location: Norway
The preseason schedule wraps up with a trip to Norway for one final clash against Valerenga. By this point, Benitez will have already figured out his squad, so the game itself should be nothing more than a formality and commercial appearance. Look for the regulars to get rested in this spot and for a number of the young prospects to get a longer look. The goal here will be to get through it healthy.
