Real Madrid vs Chelsea. International Champions Cup.
Michigan StadiumAttendance105,826.
Sunday 31 July 2016 11:57, UK
An under-strength Real Madrid side beat Chelsea 3-2 in the International Champions Cup in Michigan on Saturday night.
The European champions led 3-0 at half-time thanks to a quick-fire Marcelo brace - matching his entire goals tally from last season - followed by a wonder strike from forward Mariano Diaz Mejia.
However, Antonio Conte's team dominated the second period and were rewarded for their efforts when substitute Eden Hazard scored two late goals to set up a tense finish in front of 105,826 fans - a record for a Chelsea game - at the Michigan Stadium.
As expected, Chelsea striker Diego Costa missed out with a back injury, meaning Ruben Loftus-Cheek was asked to play as a lone frontman in his place.
Real, meanwhile, were without their Big Three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema in attack, and holding midfielder Toni Kroos was also unavailable for a fixture that was in danger of being called off because of torrential rain in the build-up to kick-off.
However, despite Chelsea being ahead of Madrid in their pre-season preparations, it was the European champions who looked stronger and fitter in the first half at The Big House, the second-largest stadium in the world.
After Nemanja Matic had missed an early chance at the far post, Real took control by scoring three times without reply before the break, and it could have been more but for the brilliance of back-up Blues goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
The increasingly busy Begovic was first called upon to prevent Matic from scoring a spectacular own goal by clawing away the Serbia international's back header, before Madrid broke the deadlock after 19 minutes.
Marcelo cut in from the left and after no Chelsea defenders went to close the left back down, he tried his luck from the edge of the area with his unfamiliar right foot, with his effort deflecting off Oscar on its way past Begovic.
If that strike owed much to fortune, the Brazilian's second, only seven minutes later, was all down to his own work.
Temitayo Olufisayo Olaoluwa Aina tried to dribble his way out of his own half, only for Marcelo to dispossess him, and the full back then went on a rampaging run past a posse of Chelsea players, before beating Begovic to his right with a low shot.
The first-half scoring was completed by the best goal of the match eight minutes before the break as, after a lovely flowing move down the left wing, the ball was worked to Mariano, who then beat Begovic with a rocket from fully 35 yards out
Conte made four changes at the interval, with the likes of Michy Batshuayi, Thibaut Courtois, Juan Cuadrado and Nathaniel Chalobah all coming on.
Real also made a host of second-half alterations, including the introduction of coach Zinedine Zidane's young son Enzo, but it was Chelsea's substitutes who had the desired impact.
Chelsea dominated proceedings in the second period and it was a surprise that it took them so long to get back into the contest, with Batshuayi and Chalobah particularly impressive.
Chalobah could, and probably should, have pulled one back just before the hour-mark after rounding Real 'keeper Kiko Casilla, only for his goalbound effort to be cleared to safety.
It was Hazard's introduction with 10 minutes to go, though, that really altered the flow of the game as the Belgian playmaker scored a late brace to put a more accurate reflection on the final scoreline, and both were identical efforts.
On each occasion the diminutive playmaker was sent clean through on goal by defence-splitting passes from Chalobah and Batshuayi respectively, with Hazard rounding the onrushing Ruben Yanez - who had come on for Casilla - before side-footing into an empty net.
However, with the second of those two goals coming in the 92nd minute, there was not enough time left for Chelsea to complete what would have been a remarkable comeback.
