Real Madrid lost their second pre-season tour game last night against Roma, meaning they can not qualify for the final of the International Champions Cup.
Veteran forward Francesco Totti netted a fine goal just before the hour mark in a game in which Carlo Ancelotti’s side were made to regret missing a host of chances – particularly in the first period at the Cotton Bowl in Texas.
Things threatened to boil over between the two sides before a ball had even been kicked when former Barcelona man Seydou Keita refused to acknowledge Pepe and threw a water bottle at him. Some of Real’s more experienced players as Xabi Alonso and Iker Casillas has to play the role of peacemakers.
The 10-time European Cup winners settled into the game quickest though with Gareth Bale causing all sorts of problems down the left hand side. Indeed, it was the Welshman who had the best chance of the first half for Los Blancos. Receiving a ball from Lucas Vazquez the 24-year-old sent his effort just wide under heavy pressure from the Italian defence.
Luka Modric, making his first appearance for the side since returning to pre-season training, was pivotal in midfield, finding his team mates with his range of passing. But at the break Los Blancos had failed to take advantage of their possession and chances.
The would come to regret that 13 minutes after the break when 38-year-old Totti netted the winner. He dummied a pass that found Alessandro Florenzi’s run down the right before continuing into the area to collect the ball and finish off calmly from near the penalty spot.
A host of substitutions ruined the flow of the game and Roma were largely untroubled as they closed out the win.
I enjoyed the game and thought the best team lost, I saw few mistakes with wrong passes and put this down to heat and pace of the game the new colour first trial and Roma nearly all white split seconds and you saw the wrong player passes. The wild start with Pepe Water thrower rattled the nerves and unsettled the young guns, who seemed slower to respond going forward. Roma Goal should have been stopped with all the defence surrounding Goal yet nobody was near Totti. I think that putting Bale out on his own on the wing did not suit the play with the young guns better to make him center attack Good experience for playing in the Heat took its toll Sad we lost. Hala Madrid !