The squad completed their final training session at the UCLA university campus in Los Angeles. Ancelotti’s players worked out the day before they take on Juventus in the Soccer Champions Tour, which will be played at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los. The session got underway with ball-retention drills and a series of running exercises, while the goalkeepers performed specific drills. Then, the squad worked on possession, pressing and tactical work. The session ended with small-sided games and shooting at goal.
After completing their last training session of the summer in the United States Madridistas said goodbye to the UCLA. The team, who have been busy preparing for the season at UCLA University since 20 July, bade farewell to the employees and volunteers who have assisted them during their stay in Los Angeles. The team thanked them for their work and posed with them for a nice group photo.
The Clash
Real Madrid face their last match of the pre-season tour in the United States. Carlo Ancelotti's charges take on Juventus at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Los Angeles (Sunday, 4am CET; Saturday, 7pm local time). The Champions League and LaLiga champions enter their third fixture on the Soccer Champions Tour against a fierce rival in the European Cup. The clash between Real Madrid and Juventus is the second most frequently played fixture in the top continental competition (21 games), second only to Real Madrid-Bayern Munich (26).
History favours the Whites who have emerged victorious from 10 of the encounters, drawing two and losing nine. Among the victories are the memorable wins to clinch the Séptima and Duodécima. The madridistas go head-to-head with one of the most decorated teams in Italian football, while Ancelotti’s men will be donning their new second kit shirt for the first time – the shirt features an inclusive design for this game in favour of more inclusive and equal football.
This will be another test ahead of the first potential trophy of the season on 10 August, against Eintracht Frankfurt in the final of the UEFA European Super Cup. Real Madrid go into this game on the back of a draw against Club América, where they had plenty of chances to win. The Whites will be vying to win this final match of the preparation campaign. Meanwhile, Juventus' tour of the United States has seen them beat Chivas and draw against Barcelona.
Los Angeles and the Rose Bowl Stadium
Los Angeles will be our team's final destination on the Soccer Champions Tour. Real Madrid are familiar with the venue, the Rose Bowl Stadium, which they visited during the 2010 pre-season, where they beat LA Galaxy. There will also be no shortage of Los Angeles fans at this historic stadium, who have accompanied and supported our team throughout their stay in the Californian city. This will be the second time Real Madrid have played at this stadium. The previous one was during the 2010 pre-season with a 2-3 win over LA Galaxy.
The stadium, built in 1922, has a capacity for over 92,000 spectators and was declared a National Historic Monument. In the 1932 Olympic Games it staged the track cycling events and in the 1984 Olympic Games it was the venue for a large part of the football tournament. It also hosted the 1994 World Cup (the final was played here) and has held several editions of the Super Bowl and the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The organizers have confirmed that the game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena will be played in a sold-out crowd and fans are encouraged to arrive early. Around 90,000 fans will attend the historic stadium to witness the team’s last preparations match before the start of their respective seasons. This will be a key preparation match for Real Madrid because the next game will be against Eintracht Frankfurt for the UEFA Super Cup in their first official match of the campaign.
About the lineups
Coach Carlo Ancelotti announced that the starting lineup he deploys today will be the same who get on the field when Madrid face Eintracht Frankfurt in the European Supercup Final, and it looks like the Italian coach wants to reward the men who got the job done last season. The predicted XI includes: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy, Casemiro, Kroos, Modric, Valverde, Vinicius, Benzema.
Fans will want to see players like Rodrygo, Rudiger or Tchouameni proving their worth, but they will all have to wait. This will be a very long season for Real Madrid, so Ancelotti will have the opportunity to make some rotations very often, so while everybody wants to see Rodrygo and the new signings playing with the first unit, patience will be needed for the time being.
As for Juventus, Pogba is facing an extended spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, and there are fears that the midfielder could even be absent for the 2022 World Cup. Weston McKennie and Dusan Vlahovic were again notable absentees for the Old Lady against Barcelona (2-2 draw at Cotton Bowl Stadium), with the pair also missing out against Guadalajara due to fitness problems.
However, Allegri has revealed that he is expecting the pair to feature against Real Madrid, and it would not be a surprise to see them in the starting XI, with Kean potentially dropping down to the bench. Juventus’ possible starting lineup includes: Szczesny; Danilo, Bonucci, Bremer, Sandro; Di Maria, Zakaria, McKennie, Locatelli, Pellegrini; Vlahovic
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