Real Madrid vs. Tottenham: Score and Reaction from 2015 Audi Cup Friendly

Real Madrid advanced to the final of this year's Audi Cup after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday evening.  

The La Liga representatives will face either Bayern Munich or Milan in Wednesday's Audi Cup final after goals from James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale led them to a well-deserved victory.

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

It may have only been a pre-season encounter, but Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez was under the microscope on Tuesday due to the absences of injured pair Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

However, Los Blancos could still call upon an extremely threatening lineup that included former White Hart Lane heroes Bale and Luka Modric, with Goal.com's Ben Hayward confessing his jealousy to see the duo as opposition:

The Munich audience were treated to an electric start at the home of Bayern, where Real and Tottenham enjoyed a terrific passage of open play in the early exchanges.

It took only five minutes for Real's wing deputy, Jese Rodriguez, to thump a long-range effort off Michel Vorm's crossbar, leaving Spanish newspaper AS in awe of his attempt:

Kevin Wimmer and Toby Alderweireld, two of Mauricio Pochettino's summer recruits, looked somewhat shaky in their endeavours as Los Blancos found it far too easy to carve their foes apart at times.

Spurs did have their bright sparks, however, and former MK Dons starlet Dele Alli was leaving his impression on the Allianz Arena crowd, not least of whom was Real Madrid TV presenter Phil Kitromilides:

Real's hold on possession only escalated as the fixture wore on, and what was initially a hotly contested affair gradually turned into a fight for Spurs to not concede before the break.

Those efforts would prove fruitless, though, after James Rodriguez rose to meet an Isco cross in the 36th minute and head past Vorm. Football writer Samuel Jay C provided footage of the semi-final opener:

Just as Jese and Isco were proving to be the main string-pullers for the Spaniards, Christian Eriksen took on a similar role for Spurs, but alas, he could not match the standard of targets at his disposal.

Nacer Chadli was introduced at half-time for Spurs and swiftly looked to be one of their more heavily involved assets moving forward, but clear-cut chances were still proving tough to come by.

Who else would it be but former Spurs talisman Bale to drive the nail in Tottenham's Audi Cup coffin? The winger cut in-field before lashing home a drive from outside of the box that Vorm failed to prevent:

The Welshman rejected the opportunity to celebrate against his old side, as Bleacher Report UK illustrated the emotional nature of his timely strike:

Bayern Munich face Milan later on Tuesday evening to decide who will meet Real in Wednesday's Audi Cup final, while the loser will take on Spurs in the third-place play-off fixture.

That fixture presents Pochettino with a final opportunity to assess his side over 90 minutes before they start their season against Manchester United this Saturday.

With such a difficult opening fixture on their hands, the north Londoners can only hope this week's playing commitments don't have a lingering impact leading up to their Premier League kick-off.

On the other hand, Real Madrid will take their lessons from another pre-season victory as they count down toward their La Liga kick-off against Sporting Gijon on August 23.

Post-Match Reaction

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

Even in the wake of a morale-boosting win over Premier League opposition, Benitez was unable to escape questions of a much more serious nature in his post-match press conference.

Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail quizzed the Spaniard on the weight jibes Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho recently directed at him, per the Guardian's Steve Brenner, to which he gave a diversionary reply:

As BBC Sport illustrated earlier on Tuesday, incessant speculation over the futures of Bale and Benzema have also come to play a starring role in Real's news cycle of late.

However, Benitez confirmed he wishes to see both remain at the Bernabeu this season:

Los Blancos' attacking setup certainly looks more threatening with that pair present, and Bale's score on Tuesday served as a reminder of what he can offer Benitez in the absence of certain other stars.