The second stop on Real Madrid’s pre-season tour of the US sees them play Manchester United in Houston.
Los Blancos had to fight back from a two-goal deficit to beat Milan in their first match on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Their next friendly pits them against a Man Utd side that have won all three of their summer fixtures without conceding thus far.
Here’s how Carlo Ancelotti could set his side out.
GK: Thibaut Courtois – Backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin pulled off some impressive saves against Milan, but number one Courtois is expected to make his return against Man Utd.
RB: Dani Carvajal – One of five remaining Real Madrid players that featured in their last competitive meeting with Man Utd – a 2-1 win in the 2017 UEFA Super Cup. Two further players – Raphael Varane and Casemiro – have switched sides.
CB: Eder Militao – Scored seven goals for Real Madrid last season. From centre-back. What’s that all about?
CB: David Alaba – Likely to replace new club captain Nacho Fernandez in the starting lineup.
LB: Antonio Rudiger – Ancelotti’s desire to play Alaba and Rudiger together often sees the latter shifted to left-back, as opposed to the former who has played left-back for much of his illustrious career. There’s method in the madness, we’re assured.
CM: Aurelien Tchouameni – Toni Kroos was given the nod at the base of Real Madrid’s new-look midfield last time out, meaning Tchouameni is expected to come back in.
CM: Federico Valverde – The energy that Valverde provides is nearly irreplaceable and he’s likely to retain his place.
CM: Luka Modric – It’s going to be hard to pair veteran duo Modric and Kroos together in a diamond moving forward.
AM: Jude Bellingham – Ancelotti has stressed that he sees Bellingham as a marauding midfielder capable of arriving late into the box and scoring goals. This number ten role is his to lose.
CF: Rodrygo – Without a natural number nine of high quality (sorry, Joselu), Real Madrid are likely to play their wide forwards in more inverted roles this season.
CF: Vinicius Junior – Without Karim Benzema, Vinicius will be expected to shoulder more of the scoring load. 45 goals across the last two seasons should give Real Madrid fans reason to feel a bit more relaxed about the situation.
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