46′ Substitution Luka Modrić Jaime Seoane Valenciano
Lucas Vázquez
Marco Asensio
46′ Vazquez replaces Asensio on the flank.
T. Kubo
T. Kroos
46′ Substitution Toni Kroos Takefusa Kubo
B. Pavard
J. Kimmich
46′ Substitution Joshua Kimmich Benjamin Pavard
Adrián De la Fuente
R. Varane
46′ De la Fuente takes the place of Varane in defence.
N. Süle
Javi Martínez
46′ Substitution Javier Martínez Aginaga Niklas Süle
L. Jović
K. Benzema
46′ A roar of applause greets Jovic’s emergence on the pitch as he replaces Benzema for his Real Madrid debut.
Vinícius Júnior
E. Hazard
46′ Hazard’s debut is over as Vinicius takes his place.
Rodrygo
Isco
46′ Substitution Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez Rodrygo Silva de Goes
K. Navas
T. Courtois
46′ Plenty of changes for both sides, so get ready. Navas takes Courtois’ place in goal for Real Madrid.
F. Mendy
Marcelo
46′ Substitution Marcelo Vieira da Silva Júnior Ferland Mendy
Nacho
Sergio Ramos
46′ Substitution Sergio Ramos García José Ignacio Fernández Iglesias
From a neutral perspective, the best thing for this match would be for both managers to keep things as in going forward. Being the pre-season, though, it’s unlikely to happen. Expect wholesale changes from both sides at the interval, as youth and depth players get their chance to impress.
Real Madrid have been the livelier of the two sides but it’s Bayern Munich who lead at the interval thanks to Corentin Tolisso. The Bavarians have had their share of chances, but it’s Manuel Neuer who has stolen the show at the other end, somehow keeping Real Madrid out despite an absolutely relentless attacking display from the LaLiga outfit through 45 minutes.
45′ + 2′ HALF-TIME: BAYERN MUNICH 1-0 REAL MADRID.
45′ + 1′ NOW ONE FROM COURTOIS! Outstanding goalkeeping from the Real Madrid man to stand tall at his near post and spread himself wide to thwart a fierce strike from Coman from point-blank range!
45′ ANOTHER NEUER SAVE! This time the goalkeeper dives to his right in a flash to pluck Modric’s strike from 10 yards out of the air! It was far from routine, but he certainly made it look that way!
43′ HOW HAS HE MISSED THAT?! A delicious Isco cross in towards the far post is met by Benzema, who has the goal at his mercy, but just gets the contact wrong as he knocks an effort wide! It was almost harder to miss than score there!
41′ Relentless pressure! It’s all Real Madrid here as they pile it on with half-time approaching! They’re sending cross after cross into the box, but the finish has just been eluding them!
39′ BEATEN AWAY! That’s the closest Hazard has come to his first Real Madrid goal, finding space on the left before bending an effort towards the far post, but Neuer gets two strong fists to it to punch clear!
37′ That’s more like it! Hazard ventures forward on another one of his signature, probing runs. So often he caps those off with a strike into the bottom corner, but opts to pass off here instead, before being fouled. It’s a free-kick for Real Madrid from 25 yards, but it results in nothing in the end as Isco shoots wide.
35′ Delicious dummy! That’s quite lovely from Isco who lets a cross run through for Benzema thanks to a clever decoy. The striker just can’t get his shot through, however, before Isco’s follow-up is also blocked!
33′ Ramos requires treatment after being clattered into by Muller. The hard coming together forces the Real Madrid training staff called out onto the pitch for what really feels like the first stoppage in play of this first half.
31′ Courtois handcuffed! Thiago drives a first-time strike at goal from 25 yards which Courtois is late reacting to, as he awkwardly gets down and fumbles a save behind for a corner. That effort found a way through a lot of bodies.
29′ Hazard scored 21 goals and added 17 assists in 52 appearances for Chelsea last season.
27′ Hazard really has not been involved too much in this match so far. He’s seen a bit of the ball but has been quick to pass it off, perhaps trying a bit much to win over his new team-mates, saving his best for the real start of the season.
25′ FINE GOALKEEPING! Benzema does well to turn in the area and drive a low shot through a defender, but Neuer reads it expertly as he reacts swiftly to get down and make a smart save.
23′ Benzema sprints forward to latch onto a throughball and while he doesn’t have the beating of Martinez, the lane is there for him to pull it back for an unmarked Hazard, but he just gets the angle wrong as Martinez is able to stick a foot in and break up the chance.
21′ Pre-season friendlies can often been tame and timid, but this has been anything but through 20 minutes. Both sides have remained insistent on getting forward fast and in numbers, and it’s made for a wonderfully entertaining encounter thus far.
19′ This is the second time these sides are meeting in the International Champions Cup, with their first coming in 2016 in New Jersey. Real Madrid won that match 1-0 with Danilo scoring the lone goal in the 79th minute.
17′ Chances at both ends! Ramos sends a header just beyond the far post before Bayern break on a counter, with Sanches selfishly opting not to play Alaba through on goal as he goes at it alone, eventually seeing an effort deflect behind for a corner.
C. Tolisso
Goal
15′ BAYERN HAVE THE BREAKTHROUGH! 1-0! That goal has been coming, it was simply a matter of which side would get it! Miller brilliantly springs Coman through on goal, and his low cross finds a way through to Tolisso who is miraculously denied by Courtois on first attempt, before slotting home the rebound!
13′ Back and forth they go! Bayern respond with a tidy move of their own, with Kimmich again finding his way into space down the right, but he just fails to pick out Arp at the near post with his cross as Courtois collects.
11′ STUNNING SAVE! Absolutely brilliant from Neuer who somehow manages to scramble across to his far post to deny Benzema’s first-time effort from a few yards out on the end of a delicious delivery across the face of goal, with Kimmich doing just enough to force a slightly tamer effort!
10′ Another letdown for Real Madrid as Asensio smacks a free-kick straight into the wall from a little over 20 yards. There’s yet to be a real clear chance in this match, but there’s certainly been plenty of attacking intent.
8′ Disappointing delivery! A first real attack of the night for Bayern comes to nothing as Kimmich’s cross sails through the area and out for a throw, after he was played expertly into space on the right by Muller.
6′ Bayern are enjoying possession now, just looking to settle things down after coming under all sorts of pressure in the opening minutes. Real Madrid have come roaring out of the gate here.
4′ Delicious save! All for not from Neuer, who quite spectacularly reacts to get a hand to Isco’s deflected effort from in close, but the whistle had gone seconds earlier to bring play to a halt.
2′ Fast start! Real Madrid with a very direct approach from the off as a ball out from the back just about springs Benzema, who drives an effort wide from 20 yards. The offside flag is raised late, but it’s a warning nonetheless.
1′ AND THEY’RE OFF! Bayern in all red as they get the match underway, with Real Madrid in all white!
Eden Hazard will dawn the Real Madrid kit for the first time as he starts in attack, flanking striker Karim Benzema along with Marco Asensio. Isco operates as a number 10, in a starting XI that should closely resemble the one coach Zinedine Zidane will name for their first competitive match of the season. New signings Ferland Mendy, Luka Jovic and Rodrygo are all on the bench.
Niko Kovac names a much stronger side than he did against Arsenal, looking a lot more like the XI that could face Dortmund in the Super Cup in 14 days. Robert Lewandowski is on the bench, but Thomas Muller leads the line, with Kingsley Coman and new recruit Jann-Fiete Arp providing support. In defence, Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez will aim to impress with the new competition for places in the side.
SUBS: Keylor Navas, Diego Altube, Ferland Mendy, Gareth Bale, Nacho, Lucas Vazquez, Takefusa Kubo, Vinicius Junior, Alvaro Odriozola, Andriy Lunin, Alvaro Fidalgo, Luka Jovic, Javi Hernandez, Mariano, Brahim Diaz, Rodrygo, Jaime Seoane, Adrian De la Fuente.
REAL MADRID (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois; Daniel Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo; Luka Modric, Toni Kroos; Marco Asensio, Isco, Eden Hazard; Karim Benzema.
SUBS: Angelo Stiller, Ron-Thorben Hoffmann, Maximilian Zaiser, Serge Gnabry, Sarpeet Singh, Ivan Mihaljevic, Niklas Sule, Alphonso Davies, Sven Ulreich, Leon Goretzka, Benjamin Pavard, Ryan Johansson, Louis Poznanski, Robert Lewandowski, Jonas Kehl.
BAYERN MUNICH (4-5-1): Manuel Neuer; Joshua Kimmich, Jerome Boateng, Javi Martinez, David Alaba; Kingsley Coman, Corentin Tolisso, Thiago Alcantara, Renato Sanches, Jann-Fiete Arp; Thomas Muller.
CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS:
Niko Kovac’s side have already begun their pre-season, losing 2-1 to Arsenal in California. There’s just two weeks until they face Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup, meaning time is of the essence for Kovac to work out the kinks ahead of the new season.
Bayern have not been nearly as active this window, but they have put an emphasis on shoring up their back line with France internationals Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard arriving in Munich ahead of the new season.
The Eden Hazard era gets underway and the excitement is palpable following his mega-move from Chelsea, with the Belgium international joining a slew of fresh faces at Santiago Bernabeu including forwards Luka Jovic and Rodrygo, midfielder Ferland Mendy and defender Eder Militao.
Desperate to turn the page on a dismal 2018-19 campaign, Real Madrid get a fresh start tonight as they begin their pre-season with a blank slate – a new canvas which they’ve been nicely decorating in the transfer window.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of this International Champions Cup match as Bayern Munich clash with Real Madrid at NRG Stadium in Houston!
Jaime Seoane
L. Modrić