Real Madrid vs. AC Milan: 7 Things We Learned from Preseason Friendly

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Real Madrid 5-1 Milan.

The difference in quality was enormous.

Milan are still trying to get over losing their two best players while Real Madrid looked like they were just practicing with each other.

Of course, this was just a friendly. That means we have to limit what we take away from this match and not read too much into it.

But there were a few signs we saw in this match that could be very telling for next season. Certain performances from each team and individuals give us a good indication of where each team is headed.

Read on to see seven things we learned in the friendly between Real Madrid and AC Milan.

Real Madrid Are on Another Level

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Let's just get the most obvious one out of the way. This was less than a friendly, it was an exhibition match.

Let's just take a look at some of the stats:

	Real Madrid	AC Milan
Goals	5	1
Shots (On Goal)	27 (12)	8 (2)
Possession	63%	37%

This was a blowout. When the first half ended, Real Madrid must have been wondering how they were still level after bossing the Italians for 45 minutes.

In the second half, Madrid finally got the goals to show their superiority.

Everyone in the front half of the pitch ran all over Milan. Ronaldo, Kaka, Higuain, Callejon, Morata, and even Lass were breaking through Milan's defense and creating chances nonstop.

Yes, it was just a friendly, but this one was never even a contest.

It Was the Right Time to Promote Morata

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Once again, Alvaro Morata has proven that his promotion to Madrid's first team was earned. In fact, one could argue that it should have even happened sooner.

Last season the youngster helped guide Castilla to the second division by dominating the competition alongside Jese Rodriguez.

Now, as we get ready for the new season, he is proving to be just what Real Madrid needs—a versatile, technically gifted player who is as likely to score goals as create them.

Against Milan, he looked like the second coming of his partner, Kaka. The youngster is still rough around the edges, but the potential for greatness is there.

This is the kind of depth that wins championships. Oh, and the best part? He wasn't a €30-50 million Galactico signing.

Kaka Has a Place at Madrid

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Luka who?

If this is the type of play we can expect from the former World Player of the year, there is no need to bring in Modric or anyone else while Kaka and Nuri Sahin are on the bench.

Kaka has continued his fabulous form of last season's second half and is finally looking like the player of old.

He had three assists and was in control every moment he was on the pitch. We saw glimpses of the greatness that Kaka once gave the world in his prime.

The pinpoint crosses were there, the weighted passes, the created space, the footwork, the vision—it was like he was back in Milan.

There is no certainty that Kaka can get anywhere near his form of years past. But if he can continue to play the way he did in Milan and over the last six months, Real Madrid can rest easy without Luka Modric knowing that Kaka is wearing white.

Milan Are in Trouble

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Wow, can one player really make this much of a difference?

Without Thiago Silva, Real Madrid tore Milan's back line apart. They were spread far too wide and left lanes open all over the place. Almost everyone in the back half looked lost for much of the match.

In midfield, the ball was consistently turned over and no rhythm was ever gained. If this is a sign of things to come for Milan, it could be a very long season for the Italians.

With their defensive leader gone, no one, not even Davide Astori, can make up for that loss.This means that the midfield will have to work that much harder to not only help shield the back line, but to maintain possession and dictate play.

If this team does not jell and make up for their losses early on, they could be out of the title race before December.

But All Is Not Lost

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While Milan were completely outplayed, let's keep things in perspective.

Allegri and company were playing arguably the best football team in the world. Even then, they did enter the half tied at one despite being thoroughly outplayed. That sort of grit can win some close games and build character.

Also, it is not disrespectful to say that there is no team in Serie A even close to Real's level.

Juventus could be set for a dominant league performance and a deep Champions League run, but their off-field issues could hamper them.

While there are always surprises every season, right now there are no other teams that are vastly superior to Milan. They could still contend for a title despite losing their two best players in the off-season.

The outlook is bleak for Milan, but hope is not yet lost after this friendly.

Ronaldo Is Set for a Big Season

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Last season Cristiano Ronaldo helped lead Real Madrid to the La Liga title and helped guide them to the Champions League semifinals.

Along the way, he scored against every team in the league, reached 100 goals faster than any player in league history and broke more records than I have room to write about.

If his performance against Milan is any indication, CR7 could actually outdo himself this season.

Again, we have to remember that this was just a friendly, but right now, Ronaldo is just unstoppable.

He was just a menace in New York. Milan's back line could not control him and he was constantly finding himself behind them. If it was just Ronaldo, Milan would have struggled to contain him.

But as we saw last season, having a 20+ goal-scoring threat, two 20+ assist men and a rejuvenated Kaka playing alongside him makes him that much more dangerous since he is often allotted lots of room on the wing.

Ronaldo is one of the favorites to win the 2012 Ballon d'Or. Watch for him to have a monster year that may see him winning his second consecutive one next season.

So Is Real Madrid

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One of the biggest points we took away from last season is that Real Madrid's success depends on Ronaldo as much as anyone.

If you take away his goals, Real Madrid would still be deadly enough to win the league title. But the number of goals is not the entire story.

We have to remember the timing of them and how often CR7 bailed Real Madrid out of a jam—the matches against Atletico Madrid, Rayo, Villarreal and Levante come to mind.

With Ronaldo on form, Real can win trophies. With the rest of the team playing like they are, Madrid can make history.

In Jose Mourinho's first season, Real Madrid beat Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final. In his second season, they won La Liga. His third season could see his team win the Champions League.

It is not just the European title that will be in Madrid's sights, every trophy will be targeted. Look out for a potential treble-winning season from Los Merengues.