Match Review

Real Madrid finished off their final preseason match against Roma with a 2-1 victory at MetLife Stadium. They played very well and thoroughly outplayed Roma, specifically in the first half. With about a week until their next match, Real will travel to Estonia next week with some confidence in their performances this preseason.

The First Half

This was Real’s best half of the match, specifically because most of their starters were featured. It was also arguably their best half of the entire preseason, they dominated Roma in both shots and possession.

It didn’t take long at all for Real to score, just 2 minutes until Marco Asensio would strike for the 3rd time this preseason. He looks determined to make an impact this season and is truly trying to cement his place in the starting XI.

An absolutely brilliant pass from Gareth Bale that found the foot of Asensio and the back of the Roma net. These two could end up being quite a duo when the season finally rolls around.

Real would strike again in the very early stages of this match when Bale would score one of his own in the 15th minute of play.

Speaking of brilliant passes, Carvajal rivaled Bale’s on this goal. The pass setup Bale to absolutely walk Iván Marcano and put the ball past Robin Olsen to make it 2-0 Real.

Though it’s only preseason, Bale is certainly taking every opportunity to show why he needs to start every match this coming season. Without Ronaldo, this is Bale’s time to shine and fully become the player they signed for a world record fee in 2013. Now we just have to cross every body part to make sure he doesn’t get injured.

Keylor Navas decided to make his presence known when he made a great play to prevent a chance for the Roma attack started by a fantastic pass from Kolarov. He’s not going to let Courtois take his starting position that easily should the transfer actually happen.

Not a highlight, but always fun to point out overreaction from the media; Ramos appeared to run into and forearm a Roma player, queue outrage from the ESPN broadcast’s Craig Burley.

Benzema was an unsung hero of sorts, he played quite well. While not on the scoresheet, he helped carry on play, had great movement around the pitch, and had a great shot of his own that was close to being a goal.

Real also had a good case for a handball in the box off a Marco Asensio shot, but nothing would come of it.

The Second Half

Most of the starting squad was subbed off when the second half whistle continued play. Real weren’t nearly as dominant in the second half with many of the Castilla players now on the pitch. To be quite honest, the match became fairly boring with the exception of Vinicius. He had several chances that could’ve found their way to the back of the net.

Real didn’t get off with a clean sheet, unfortunately. Kevin Strootman was left wide open off a throw-in and headed pass that led to him striking in the 83rd for Roma’s first and only goal.

Wrapping Up

Real Madrid finished off this preseason on a high note and there’s a lot of positives to take forward into next week’s Super Cup. The offense has done quite well since the Manchester United loss and that is a boost in confidence for both the club and the fans. Yes, it’s only preseason, but these performances can carry over into the new season.

With the ICC now done for Real, they look towards their trip to Tallinn next Wednesday where they will take on Atletico. The first chance for Real to capture some hardware this season, it will be fun to watch what this team has learned from preseason and can carry on to meaningful play.