MLS All-Stars vs. Real Madrid: Start Time, Live Stream, Form Guide, Predictions

Real Madrid will face an elite selection of Major League Soccer All-Stars to conclude their pre-season travels at Chicago's Soldier Field on Wednesday, hoping to end a dire run of form in preparation for the 2017-18 season.

Manager Zinedine Zidane's men have lost all three of their friendlies since beating Juventus to lift the UEFA Champions League in June, setting the stage to take on the best of the United States and Canada as Europe's greatest champion.

The fact Los Merengues also became the first club to successfully retain the Champions League trophy further underlines their status as the best their continent has to offer ahead of a clash against the might of the MLS.

Chicago Fire star and 2014 FIFA World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger will captain the All-Stars, who include former Real playmaker Kaka, as well as Barcelona alumni David Villa and Giovani dos Santos.

Read on for a breakdown of the essential live-stream information ahead of Wednesday's fixture, complete with form guide and prediction.

Date: Wednesday, August 2

Time: 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. local/2 a.m. BST (Thursday)

Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago

Live Stream: Fox Soccer Match Pass (U.S.), Sky Go (UK), fuboTV (U.S.)

Real Madrid Form

• Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona
• Manchester City 4-1 Real Madrid
• Real Madrid 1-1 Manchester United (United win on penalties)
• Juventus 1-4 Real Madrid
• Malaga 0-2 Real Madrid

Sebastian Giovinco Sends Europe a Reminder

While the MLS All-Stars have no recent form to account for given they're a purely ceremonial outfit, it is worth noting the rarely seen side have beaten Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur in two of their last three years.

If they're to maintain some success against Real on Wednesday, Toronto FC maestro and former Juventus fringe figure Sebastian Giovinco will be critical to ensuring the All-Stars pose some challenge on Zidane's defence.

The 30-year-old has illustrated since moving to Canada in 2015 that he is of a distinctly higher class than most of his peers in MLS, most recently dazzling in a 4-0 defeat of New York City FC on Sunday, via Major League Soccer:

And Los Blancos will have been wise to pay heed of the threat Giovinco brings from dead-ball situations, as he scored a second against New York in smash-and-grab fashion:

Real's three defeats this pre-season have come against steep opposition in Manchester United, Manchester City and Barcelona, but the All-Stars will appear to some as a significant step down from that level.

Take into account the fact those players are in the middle of their 2017 season and Real's job may not be as simple as once thought, particularly with assets like Schweinsteiger at their helm, via DW Sports:

Real Depth Edges Out MLS Moxie

Zidane has shown a willingness to experiment somewhat with his selection in the pre-season already, although the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have taken its toll in terms of raising their killer instinct.

Chris Boghossian of the Chicago Tribune explained the Portugal captain has been granted an extended vacation until Saturday, although his court appearance in Spain on Monday under allegations of tax evasion is a more likely cause.

But even without their poster boy, Los Merengues will know their resources should outlast that of their MLS opponents, and ESPN Stats & Info highlighted emerging star Marco Asensio's scoring pedigree after netting in Saturday's 3-2 loss to Barca:

Another breakthrough contender, Mateo Kovacic, scored Real's other goal in the Miami Clasico, and while not guaranteed staples of Real's XI, those players will still stick out when lined up opposite Michael Bradley and a 35-year-old Kaka.

This will be Real's best opportunity to end their losing run and boost morale prior to their UEFA Super Cup and Spanish Super Cup meetings with United and Barca, respectively, over the next two weeks, with a confident but clunky win expected.

Prediction: MLS All-Stars 2-4 Real Madrid