Sunday, 31 July 2011

Friendly match (5): Leicester 1 - 2 Real Madrid

Real Madrid ended its fifth preseason match and last in Europe with a comfortable victory over Leicester City. The Mourinho's team will travel to China, where will play two games to close a preseason that is showing the depth bench that will have the white team this season. Real Madrid has shown itself in five games as a serious team, with much football despite the youth of the roster, a clear game idea with lots of options in all positions of the field.

Leicester vs Real Madrid: Benzema scored the 0-2

Mourinho played with a starting line-up full of news, faithful to his policy of distributing minutes this preseason. Varane, Albiol, Granero or Adan took part of the starting team and Cristinao, Özil, Casillas or Xabi started the game from the bench. With Callejon and Coentrão close to the wings and Kaka as playmaker, Real Madrid dominated the ball. Leicester tried to fight against the quality of Real Madrid players with a considerable physical power and pressure, trying to steal the ball and look for a counter-attack.

During the first 45 minutes, Real Madrid had three clear chances to score but was close to the final of the first half, when everyone was thinking in the 0-0, when white team scored the 0-1. The play emerged from a mistake by Mills, Leicester's central defender, in a failed clearing with his head, left the ball at the feet of Benzema, who with all the calm of the world, haggled Schmeichel and served the goal for the Callejon, who returned to score for Real Madrid this season. It was 43 minutes of game and Mourinho's team went ahead on the scoreboard without time to more. The goal did justice to the merits of the white set, which was the only team that created danger. Adan just had to intervene in a couple of dangerous free-kicks of the English team.

The second half began with a carousel of substitutions on both teams. Mourinho put on the team Casillas, Özil, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Xabi Alonso, leaving on the bench Kaka, Adan, Granero and Callejon. Furthermore, both Real Madrid and the Leicester changed the color of their equipments. The British team, encouraged by its fans, looked for a goal with more intensely. Thus, in the 48' minute Bamba had a great opportunity, alone at the small area, but Casillas stopped the ball.

Whites owned the game and the team raised the pace looking to close the match early. In the 61' came the 0-2. Fast counter-attack guided Xabi Alonso, who pass to Marcelo, the Brazilian throws the ball at the post but Benzema, attentive, sends it to the back of the net. After the second goal, Mourinho returned to move the bench. Higuain enjoyed his first minutes of the season in substitution for Karim. Pepe and Arbeloa gave rest to Marcelo and Khedira.

Gradually the match was losing intensity. Real Madrid managed the ball and missed the minutes waiting for the final whistle. The British sought a goal to makeup the result, but with more faith than football. And in the 88' came the goal. Dyer scored the 1-2 after a powerful shot from inside the area, that caused the delight of the home crowd. So came the final of the game. Now it's time to travel to China for a brilliant climax to the season. On August 14 the official season starts with the running of the Super Cup against Barcelona.

Summary

Stadium: Walkers Stadium
Attendance: N.A.
Goals:  0-1 Callejon min.43 , 0-2 Benzema min.61 , 1-2 Dyer min.88.