Goals: N/A
Recap: It took 11 rounds of penalties, but Real Madrid managed to defeat AC Milan on Thursday in the 2015 International Champions Cup.
Battling temperatures in the mid-90s, both clubs failed to produce the aesthetic brand of football synonymous with their game. Chances were few and far between in the first 45 minutes, forcing both sides to enter the break scoreless. A subtle shift occurred in the second half, with Real Madrid creating a lion's share of the scoring opportunities. Their efforts through the run of play, however, were to no avail.
Misses from Carlos Bacca and Gianluigi Donnarumma in the shootout sealed the victory for Real Madrid.
Key Moment: AC Milan's best and perhaps only true chance came in the 82nd minute, with Bacca battling Kiko Casilla one-on-one inside the area. Coming off his line, the Madrid 'keeper parried the strike to safety and preserved the clean sheet.
Man of the Match: The award is to be shared by both Casilla and Keylor Navas. The duo split the responsibility between the posts for Madrid, combining for six saves and the clean-sheet victory.
Lesson Learned: Given last year's lessons, balance in the midfield will be key for Real Madrid this campaign. On loan at FC Porto, Casemiro returns to the Spanish capital a more polished defensive midfielder—a necessary component that was absent under the previous tenure of Carlo Ancelotti. Combined with Isco and Toni Kroos in the second half, Casemiro proved to be the engine for a more dynamic and potent attack, recovering the ball and quickly transitioning to the final third. There will likely be two key battles for minutes under newly appointed manager Rafa Benitez: Isco with James Rodriguez and Kroos with Luka Modric.
The most balanced XI, however, is as follows:
Up Next: Both clubs travel to Munich to participate in the 2015 Audi Cup against Bayern Munich and Tottenham on Aug. 4.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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