The Intercontinental Champions Cup hits into another gear as two European giants in former Champions League winners Real Madrid and Bayern Munich face each other in an intense pre-season contest on Saturday.
The German giants were defeated by Arsenal in their first game, while Los Blancos will be testing out their newly constructed squad for the first time against the Bavarians.
As Zinedine Zidane embarks on a new era as Real Madrid manager, he’ll be testing out his biggest fireworks in Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic against formidable opposition in this pre-season tournament.
Meanwhile, after getting off on the wrong foot against the Gunners, the German champions will be aiming for some revenge in the form of an old European rival.
Form
Los Blancos have started their pre-season training but are yet to test the new-look squad against different opposition. After a dismal season last season which saw them eliminated from the UEFA Champions League in the round of 16 and finish well below arch-rivals Barcelona in the La Liga table, serious changes were made.
Hazard will be making his debut for his new side against the Bavarians after guiding Chelsea to their second UEFA Europa League title in his final game. The Belgian’s looked lively in training and is probably at his peak, as he’ll look to get off on the right foot with a blazing debut for his new side.
Serbian striker Jovic will also be making his bow, looking to rattle in goals right from the get-go. Meanwhile, new left-back Ferland Mendy will also be showcasing his talents for the first time, while Japanese Takefusa Kubo’s also included in the squad to make a strong impression on Zidane.
While Madrid will be looking for a thrilling win, Bayern need to get back to their best after malfunctioning against Arsenal. New signing Benjamin Pavard could make his starting debut against Los Blancos, while Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry should feature more prominently.
Niko Kovac will look to get his combinations perfect to ruin the jubilant mood for the new Galacticos, looking for his experienced stars and promising youngsters to cause chaos and get their first win in the International Champions Cup.
Team News
New signing Eder Militao is set to miss the game after picking up a knock after signing for the Los Blancos. Meanwhile, Federico Valverde and Jesus Vallejo have also not travelled with the squad for the pre-season tour, while Dani Ceballos also misses out as his impending move away, possibly to Arsenal, is on the cards.
Bayern’s record signing Lucas Hernandez is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered a few months ago but is expected to be fit before the Bundesliga starts. Apart from that, Kovac has his major players all fit and ready to play on Saturday.
Predicted Lineups
Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo, Kroos, Modric, Asensio, Isco, Hazard, Benzema.
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Kimmich, Pavard, Boateng, Alaba, Martinez, Davies, Arp, Gnabry, Coman, Lewandowski.
What to watch for
The New Galacticos take flight
While Bayern Munich will definitely be gunning for revenge of their bitter Champions League elimination to the hands of Madrid a few years ago, all eyes will be on Los Blancos’ new core. Eden Hazard will grace the Madrid fans for the first time and it is yet to be seen how much he influences their game going forward.
Real Madrid have lacked that majestic spirit since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure and will hope Hazard brings that spark back with his stunning dribbling skills and lethal ability in the final third.
Moreover, Luka Jovic’s goal-scoring rate will also be under the hammer as he’ll be off to prove his value and show just how good he is in front of goal.
Ferland Mendy touted as Marcelo’s successor will also be one to keep an eye out for with his amazing pace going forward and defensive prowess.
Youngsters Rodrygo and Kubo will be itching to make a solid impression after watching how Vinicius Jr thrived last season. Zidane’s men will go all out to impress their manager, but Bayern’s hunger for a win should result in an end-to-end contest.