Real Madrid vs. Chelsea: Key Takeaways from International Champions Cup Final

Real Madrid are your 2013 International Champions Cup victors on the strength of Wednesday night's impressive 3-1 win over Chelsea in the tournament's final at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. 

In terms of preseason action, this was an exciting match. With Madrid scoring three goals there wasn't any shortage of offensive action as Jose Mourinho's old squad had no issues finding the net against his new one. 

Despite the limited implications that we can take from any preseason friendly, this one gave us some things to think about as the new season approaches for both these European giants. Real Madrid allowed some of their stars, namely Cristiano Ronaldo, to play a full 90 minutes, while Chelsea also played many of their prime players for the duration of the match. 

Here were the key takeaways from the fiery friendly. 

Cristiano Ronaldo is in Top Form Already

Some players may take a while to get themselves into competitive game shape after some time away from the rigors of a league campaign. Ronaldo is not one of those players. 

The 28-year-old striker, who scored 34 goals for Madrid last season, was back to his usual ways against the Blues, scoring two of Madrid's three goals to earn the victory. His free kick at the 31-minute mark was a display of his incredible ability to find the net from long range, while his header showed his knack for great positioning in the box. 

As Gary Lineker pointed out, the only person that was able to get a hold of Ronaldo was a fan who ran onto the pitch to hug the superstar. 

Keeping up with the new pairing of Lionel Messi and Neymar won't be easy for Los Blancos this season, but Ronaldo's strong preseason efforts have to give fans hope that he's ready for the challenge. 

Chelsea's Defense Should Be Worried

Usually it wouldn't be concerning to surrender three goals in a friendly, but the Blues only made one substitution from their starting back line. John Terry came off at the 75-minute mark for 23-year-old Cesar Azpilicueta. 

That's cause for concern. 

Playing someone as masterful in the box as Ronaldo can be frustrating for any defense, but Gary Cahill's yellow card just two minutes after giving up the second goal to the striker was a sign that they lost their composure as a unit. 

Obviously there's still time for the Chelsea defenders to whip themselves into shape, but Ronaldo isn't the only dynamic scorer they will see this season. It's clear that it might be an area of concern heading into Premier League play. 

Iker Casillas Gives Real Madrid an Edge

As much criticism that can be thrown at Chelsea's defense could be passed Madrid's way if it weren't for some excellent play from goalkeeper Iker Casillas. 

The 32-year-old Spaniard came through for Madrid multiple times, chalking up five saves for the match. He definitely earned the right to lift the cup at the end of the match. 

The Madrid defense is generally stout, but it makes it even more demoralizing to opponents when they can create a good opportunity and still be denied. With good looks from Branislav Ivanovic and Eden Hazard being deflected by the athletic keeper, Chelsea had to be wondering what lengths they needed to go to get a goal. 

Going against some of the top offenses in La Liga and the Champions League this year, it will be good for Madrid to know that they can depend on Casillas to bail them out when called upon.