Manchester City vs Real Madrid: Lessons Learned from International Champions Cup
Real Madrid tasted success in the International Champions Cup 2015 as they easily beat Manchester City 4-1 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
A strong Real side cruised ahead with goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, with Pepe heading in a third before the break—only for Yaya Toure to score a very dubious penalty straight after. Denis Cheryshev wrapped up the win in the second half after a host of changes from both teams.
Despite the one-sided nature of the result, and indeed the performances in the 90 minutes, we have identified some areas of analysis or at least something to build on for both teams as they work toward full fitness and the new season.
The Changing Dynamics of Real's Attack
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Rafa Benitez's appointment as Real Madrid manager will inevitably lead to a different style and/or formation compared to last season, so it was interesting to see a very fluid attack for the side against Manchester City as he seeks to find a way to incorporate his best players but keep a balanced team.
A 4-2-3-1 saw Isco right side and Gareth Bale left, with Cristiano Ronaldo floating behind Karim Benzema but also swapping position plenty of times with Bale. The two combined to good effect at times yet also showed signs of trying something new—and they got in each others' way a few times, too.
After the break Ronaldo went right and Isco played centrally—showing perhaps that Benitez intends to move things around for a while yet until he finds the ideal system.
Good Job It's Pre-Season, Aleksander
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For Manchester City, naming 16-year-old Cameron Humphreys at centre-back might have looked a risky proposition, but he was positively stellar compared to the ineptitude and lack of concentration shown by left-back Aleksander Kolarov.
The more experienced man was to blame for at least two of the goals, involved in the first three and lucky not to be involved in four—he played Cristiano Ronaldo onside for the Portuguese man's goal and then did the same again as Ronaldo set up Isco, only for the goal to be wrongly chalked off for offside.
His replacement, Gael Clichy, didn't do much better as Isco beat him too easily for the fourth, while fellow full-back Bacary Sagna was also caught out by scorer Cheryshev's movement—though at least he had the excuse of playing more than 70 minutes by that point.
Not the Best of Starts from Indecisive Delph
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Fabian Delph started in the centre of midfield as Manchester City went with an initial 4-3-3 again, but perhaps he has had another change of heart—he lasted just 20 minutes on his debut.
The former Villa man seemed to pull a hamstring muscle in a challenge on the stretch and had to get attention on the pitch before being stretchered off. In a team and a position where competition for places is fierce, and naturally with a spotlight being on him for his choice to move club, being injured at the start is not what he would have hoped for.
City moved to a 4-2-3-1 when he went off, so there wasn't much opportunity to see how the systemic switch from last season fared against a better team.
Real Madrid Looking in Fine Form Early on
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Much of the time in early pre-season, clubs will field fringe players, youth prospects and other not-quite-first-teamers to give them the chance to stake a claim and to see who might boost the squad ahead of the new season.
For Real Madrid, though, it's very much a case of regular first XI players getting game time straight away: Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos...the list goes on, and against less experienced players it shouldn't be a surprise to see them come out on top. That said, even when City had the likes of Yaya Toure, David Silva and new £49-million-man Raheem Sterling on show, Real were far and away the better team.
It shows that City have work to do to challenge among Europe's elite...and that Real's squad is looking stronger than ever, bolstered by returning loan players, ahead of their own new season.
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