Real Madrid vs Chelsea – Club Friendlies – Match Preview, Team News and Updates

2024-08-06 ScoreWaves Staff

Chelsea look to get back to winning ways, as they face Real Madrid in their next preseason game. Both Chelsea have been on tour in the US, and this match will mark the end of their respective US tours.

Chelsea succumbed to an embarrassing 4-2 defeat at the hands of English champions, Manchester City, on Sunday. Meanwhile, Real Madrid were also humbled, as bitter rivals Barcelona ran away with a 2-1 win. Both European giants would look to end their preseason tour on a positive note by claiming a victory. This match will surely attract a sellout crowd at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. But which team would come away with the win?

Enzo Maresca Era of to a shaky start

The Chelsea head coaching job comes with a lot of pressure to succeed. The Blues' new owners, Clear Lake Capital, have already fired four head coaches in a span of two seasons. Such decisions have puzzled most Chelsea fans, as they believe that their beloved club does not have any sense of direction under the ownership of Todd Boehly. In just four transfer windows, the Blues have signed upwards of one-billion euros worth of talent.

Such spending is not sustainable, and problems have started to arise. In order to balance the books, Chelsea have resorted to selling academy talents like Lewis Hall, Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount. This decision hasn’t gone down well with the supporters. The club looks broken, as nothing is working for the Blues at the moment. Amid this drama and uncertainty, Chelsea hierarchy have decided to hire Enzo Maresca. The relatively inexperienced head coach has been tasked to take Chelsea back to the very top.

However, Maresca has struggled to implement his style and philosophy at Chelsea. Chelsea has managed just one win this preseason, even though they've gone up against teams like Wrexham, Celtic, and Club America. But what would worry Chelsea fans more is their performance against City on Sunday. The Blues tried to play out from the back, but City players feasted on their opponent’s mistakes, with Erling Haaland bagging a hattrick.

Chelsea looked out of sorts playing this kind of risky football. And with the start of Premier League less than two weeks away, Enzo Maresca has a lot of work to do. At the moment, it’s safe to suggest that Maresca-Ball looks broken. But will the Italian manager have time to fix it?

A new Galactico Era begins in Madrid

Real Madrid is undoubtedly the most popular club in the world. Their popularity stems from the unparalleled success the club has achieved and continues to achieve. This level of success is only possible because of the continuous supply of world class talent, and Real Madrid are blessed in that department. The likes of Jude Bellingham, Vini Jr., Rodrygo, Luka Modric, Toni Kross, Antonio Rudiger and many more dawned the iconic white jersey last season when they captured their 16th Champions League title.

However, club president Florentino Perez didn’t sit back on his laurels. In fact, he dipped back into the transfer market and signed Brazilian wonderkid Endrick for 60-million euros. Additionally, Los Blancos also signed Kylian Mbappe for free this summer. With Bellingham, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr., Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz already on their books, Madrid’s attacks looks menacing for next season.

However, Real’s US tour hasn’t gone according to plan. Despite fielding formidable lineups, Los Blancos have lost both their preseason games against AC Milan and Barcelona. Now, they wrap their preseason tour with a game against Chelsea on Wednesday.

Real Madrid vs Chelsea – Team News and Updates

Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti will have to call upon youngsters like Endrick, Arda Guler, Nico Paz and Fran Garcia once again versus Chelsea, with most of the key starters missing. Players like Dani Carvajal, Jude Bellingham, Ferland Mendy, Aurelien Tchouameni, Kylian Mbappe and Eduardo Camavinga are still on vacation.

Furthermore, Federico Valverde has also not returned after Uruguay’s Copa America campaign. However, Brazilian wingers Vini Jr. And Rodrygo have return. Both were on the bench in Madrid’s recent 2-1 loss to Barcelona. Vini Jr. Even made a late cameo in the game. Los Blancos’ only major injury concern is David Alaba, who’s currently recovering from an ACL injury.

On the other hand, most of Chelsea’s key players have reported back to training. The only absentees from their US Tour are Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella. Apart from them, Enzo Maresca will also miss the services of Nicolas Jackson and Axel Disasi. Both players are currently recovering from injuries. The midfield duo of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have joined up with the team in the USA, following the conclusion of the 2024 Copa America.