CHARLOTTE, NC — Chelsea suffered its third defeat of the preseason as the Blues fell 2-1 to defending Champions League title winners Real Madrid in Charlotte on Tuesday to cap off its USA tour.
With a grueling five games in 13 days, Chelsea stumbled to a host of poor results marred by defensive errors and a collection of missed chances up front. Tonight, it was more of the same as the Blues were porous and mistake-prone at the back, conceding first-half goals by Lucas Vazquez and Brahim Diaz.
The Blues were bright up front creating many chances of their own, with Christopher Nkunku and Marc Guiu both looking full of quality, but they all fell apart at the final moment as the Blues struggled to pick out the right moments to shoot.
Missing a host of their first-team regulars, especially in midfield, Real Madrid looked gettable on the counter, but were their usual selves in the build-up too, and were far less error-prone than their Premier League opponents. Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo both cropped up with delightful vertical deliveries on the Real Madrid goals that left Chelsea defenders in the dust.
The second half was a sleepy rendition of the entertaining first 45 minutes as the teams threw multiple youth players on and had little desire to push their luck in search of more goals. Ultimately, Chelsea clearly have lots of work to do under new head coach Enzo Maresca to become a formidable foe in the Premier League again, but there are moments of positivity to take with them as well.
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The Sporting News followied the Chelsea vs. Real Madrid match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happened.
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Chelsea vs. Real Madrid final score
| Score | Goal scorers | |
| Chelsea | 1 | Madueke (39') |
| Real Madrid | 2 | L. Vazquez (19'), B. Diaz (27') |
Kickoff: 7:07 p.m. local (4:07 p.m. PT / 1:07 a.m. UK)
Location: Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC)
Referee: Guido Gonzalez
Starting lineups:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1, right to left): Jorgensen (GK) — R. James (Fofana, 70'), Badiashile, Colwill, Gusto — E. Fernandez, Lavia (Caicedo, 58') — Madueke, Nkunku, Sterling (Mudryk, 58') — Guiu (Dewsbury-Hall, 66').
Real Madrid (4-4-2, right to left): Courtois (GK — Lunin, 46') — L. Vazquez, Militao (Asensio, 65'), Rudiger (Naveros, 78'), F. Garcia — Modric (Aguado, 83'), Martin, Ceballos, B. Diaz (Obrador, 78') — Rodrygo (Paz, 65'), Vinicius (Latasa, 65').
Chelsea vs. Real Madrid live updates, highlights from summer friendly
FULLTIME: The referee blows the final whistle at the end of the 90 minutes, with no added time. The final 30 minutes were entirely forgettable, but both sides can take positives from the match as a whole.
84th min: Chance, Real Madrid! Mario Martin has space to shoot from distance, but his effort from head-on goes wide left.
83rd min: One more Real Madrid change as Lorenzo Aguado comes in to replace Luca Modric, who gets a monstrous hand from the pro-Blancos crowd, easily the biggest cheer of the night.
75th min: This second half has slowed considerably, and you can tell neither side feels the need to risk injury or go full speed and lay it on the line for the finish of a preseason friendly. Nico Paz forces a relatively routine save from Filip Jorgensen from distance.
Real Madrid are set to make another pair of substitutions, with 19-year-old Jacobo Naveros and 20-year-old Rafel Obrador set to come on. Antonio Rudiger and Brahim Diaz take a seat.
67th min: Andriy Lunin is booked by the referee. Wesley Fofana comes in to replace Reece James.
63rd min: Another perfect encapsulation of this match as Mykhaylo Mudryk comes out of nowhere at full speed to snatch a Real Madrid pass and start a counter-attack, and after dribbling three-quarters the length of the field and finding space to shoot, he blasts the ball into the Charlotte night sky. Another awful finish at the end of a quality chance.
There's a triple change for Real Madrid as Nico Paz, Raul Asencio, and Juan Latasa enter while the Brazilian trio of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, and Eder Militao depart.
Also, Chelsea bring on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to replace Marc Guiu, who had a very strong performance for the Blues today and could be primed to make an impact in his first Chelsea season.
58th min: Chelsea make their first two substitutions as Mykaylo Mudryk and Moises Caicedo come on for Raheem Sterling and Romeo Lavia.
55th min: Raheem Sterling looks to take on a defender but takes far too many stepovers and loses the ball without even a defender challenging him. The England international has been exceedingly poor today, and could see himself jumped on the depth chart by other younger players having good performances.
50th min: Chance, Chelsea! Now it's Marc Guiu's turn to get completely free on goal but then send his curler just high and wide of the top-right corner! Neither team has been able to defend the counter-attack, and it's only thanks to a collection of poor finishes that this game doesn't sport an NFL-like scoreline.
49th min: Chance, Real Madrid! Brahim Diaz fires a shot inches wide of the top-right corner after being fed with a cutback from the left!
46th min: Chance, Chelsea! Nearly straight from kickoff, Chelsea produce the first chance of the half, going back-to-front lightning quick! Marc Guiu and Christopher Nkunku combine on the chance, but neither player takes the right moment to shoot, and by the time Nkunku gets the ball unstuck from his feet, Lunin's closed it down for the save.
2nd half kickoff: It took Real Madrid ages to get out from the halftime locker room, but they're finally back under way at Bank of America Stadium as the weather has continued to hold off for the evening to this point.
Surprisingly, there's just one change between the two sides, an abnormality for a preseason friendly, as Andriy Lunin takes over in goal for Real Madrid.
HALFTIME: Chelsea 1-2 Real Madrid
A game full of gorgeous attacking buildup, putrid defending, and sloppy finishing from both teams. Real Madrid have the halftime edge, because they've had a little more buildup and a little less poor defending, but both teams have had similar showings to this point.
There's a lot to work on for Chelesa head coach Enzo Maresca. For Real Madrid, most of their struggles can be chalked up to the fact that many first-team regulars are not yet back with the squad.
45+2 min: There's a concern here as Chelsea full-back Malo Gusto, who's had a very good first half, is down and needs some relatively hurried medical treatment. Eventually, he's sitting up and takes a drink of water, so it appears he may be ok. He walks off under his own power holding the back of his neck.
39th min: GOAL! CHELSEA! Noni Madueke heads home off a cross from Enzo Fernandez from deep, and Chelsea have a goal back! Madueke out-jumps Fran Garcia at the far post, and finds the window for the finish across the face of goal!
36th min: Chance, Chelsea! The Blues botch another great scoring chance! Real Madrid miss an assignment at the back which allows Raheem Sterling to get through at the left edge of the six-yard box, but his cross slid laterally along the face of goal is poor, skittering behind a streaking Christopher Nkunku who's wide open on the doorstep for a tap-in with the right service!
27th min: GOAL! REAL MADRID! It's a lovely goal for Brahim Diaz as Real Madrid go 2-0 up, but give Vinicius Jr. a gold star for his service, as his vertical feed is what unlocked the chance! Diaz takes the ball at full sprint and rounds the goalkeeper before finishing expertly from an extremely tight angle!
It looked like Benoit Badiashile could have maybe slid to clear the ball off the line, but he dogged it and never even gave it an attempt. Enzo Maresca won't be happy about that! The Chelsea boss can talk with his team as the referee takes a hydration break, as the Blues are being carved to shreds at the back.
Watch in USA:
25th min: Chelsea have a glorious counter-attack as Christopher Nkunku picks the pocket of Mario Martin in his own half, but when he slides it to Raheem Sterling, the Chelsea winger fails to take a shot when he has the chance, and instead dribbles vertically and is simply marshaled out of play. A terrible end to a promising breakaway!
23rd min: Chance, Real Madrid! Chelsea's awful defending continues, leaving Filip Jorgensen to scramble yet again! First a deflected cross nearly reaches Vinicius Jr. right on the doorstep, but it's inches out of his reach. Then a follow-up shot is flashed wide of the far right post!
19th min: GOAL! REAL MADRID! In a perfect representation of this match, Real Madrid open the scoring with the sloppiest of goals! Los Blancos have a dangerous counter which is slid to the right for Lucas Vazquez who takes a shot. He took ages to pull the trigger and allowed a defender to close down, but the shot deflects heavily and slides agonizingly slow past the goalkeeper towards the far post, where Dani Ceballos slides to poke it in before Filip Jorgensen can recover!
And what a pass from Rodrygo to start the chance! A brilliant vertical through-ball to open the scoring opportunity.
Watch in USA:
Update: The goal has now been credited to Vazquez as the replays apparently show that Ceballos never got a touch on the end of it. While it initially appeared Ceballos got his toe to the ball, instead a closer angle shows that it's Jorgensen's fingertip which redirects the ball at the end of the play.
17th min: Chance, Real Madrid! How has Brahim Diaz missed?!?!?! A deflected shot falls right to the Morocco international on the penalty spot with the goal absolutely gaping, but he puts his easy finish miles wide! The finishing in this match so far has been absolutely horrid.
14th min: Chance, Real Madrid! Wow, Vinicius Jr. just left Reece James in his dust, but then when he went to finish the chance one-on-one with the goalkeeper from no more than four yards out, he seemingly just fell over! Maybe there was a recovery touch by James from behind, but it should have been the opening goal!
13th min: Chance, Chelsea! The Blues nearly have the opener but a cutback from Malo Gusto on the byline is behind Raheem Sterling on the penalty spot. It falls to Christopher Nkunku, but he gets the ball stuck at his feet, and when he slides it back to Sterling, it's too late and the shot is blocked!
11th min: Real Madrid nearly find themselves in on goal, but it just doesn't quite come off! Vinicius pounces on a poor back-pass from a Chelsea defender, something they've been prone to often this summer, but when the Brazilian rounds the goalkeeper, his touch is too heavy and it takes him too wide to take advantage of the empty net before Filip Jorgensen recovers.
10th min: Chelsea have a free-kick after Noni Madueke is fouled out wide right, and the delivery is dangerous, but it's headed up into the air by Lucas Vazquez and then punched clear by Thibaut Courtois. The Blues have been very good in the attack to this point.
4th min: Chance, Chelsea! Raheem Sterling heads over the crossbar! He gets a cross from Noni Madueke on the right, but it's redirected off target!
3rd min: Real Madrid nearly create something out of nothing as Thibaut Courtois almost drops a goal kick in a bucket for Rodrygo on the run, but it's very well defended by Levi Colwill on the run who shields off the ball and wins the foul.
Kickoff: They're under way at Bank of America Stadium! The final match for both sides in their preseason tour of the United States. With the season set to begin in under two weeks, they will both head back to Europe after this match and get ready for the beginning of the campaign.
Chelsea vs. Real Madrid: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more
15 mins to kickoff: The pitch here in Charlotte is a natural grass surface laid on top of the artificial turf which regularly entertains most participants at Bank of America Stadium. This has become a common practice for high-level European soccer matches here in the United States, as well as other international events like this summer's Copa America.
However, some of the pitches have been criticized for how the ball plays on them and how they're constructed. Some of it is warranted, but some of it must be accepted by the clubs.
30 mins to kickoff: Real Madrid youngster Mario Martin has picked up a solid amount of minutes this preseason as many of the team's starting midfielders are out for an extended break. The 20-year-old has been with Los Blancos since 2016 when he was just 12 years old, and he was not called in to Spain's Olympic squad for this summer, giving him a chance to shine for his club.
It will be interesting to see him perform tonight, and a strong preseason could help him get noticed elsewhere around Europe, given how stacked Madrid's midfield is with young first-team talent. Reports, however, claim that for now, Martin will remain with the first-team to provide cover.
45 mins to kickoff: The Chelsea lineup is in, and it's a very attacking setup from Enzo Maresca. There are only two true midfielders in Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia, while four forwards feature in the lineup. Christopher Nkunku may drop back into midfield to help facilitate the buildup.
New goalkeeper signing Filip Jorgensen starts in net and gets a chance to shine.
1 hour to kickoff: Chelsea will use their blue marble kits for today, and it has to be said, they are some of the best kits in the Premier League this year. Exceptional look.
1 hour 15 mins to kick: This Chelsea fan from North Carolina has crocheted an entire blanket with every single game's score on it. She got to present her gift to Gary Cahill! This kind of fan outreach is what these tours abroad are all about.
1 hour 30 mins to kick: The Real Madrid starting lineup is already out, and their Brazilian duo Vinicius and Rodrygo are both starting up front. The midfield is still gutted by absences, so 20-year-old youth product Mario Martin will get another start at the No. 6.
1 hour 45 mins to kick: Weather will be something to watch ahead of tonight's match, as the very fringes of the precipitation from Hurricane Debby approach. For now, it's been kept at bay.
2 hours to kickoff: Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Chelsea vs. Real Madrid from Charlotte, North Carolina. This one promises to be an intriguing preseason matchup!
Speaking to the media in Charlotte, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti backed fellow Italian Enzo Maresca to succeed at Chelsea, but only if given time for his project.
When asked by The Sporting News if he felt the same way, the new Chelsea boss was appreciative of Ancelotti's support and agreed, quipping that the idea things will click immediately for the club "is PlayStation, this is not football."
Chelsea vs. Real Madrid kickoff time
This preseason friendly from the Soccer Champions Tour kicks off from Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday, August 6 at 7 p.m. local time in Charlotte, NC. Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada | Tue, Aug. 6 | 7 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Tue, Aug. 6 | 4 p.m. PT |
| UK | Wed, Aug. 7 | 12 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Wed, Aug. 7 | 9 a.m. AEST |
| India | Wed, Aug. 7 | 4:30 a.m. IST |
Chelsea vs. Real Madrid lineups, team news, starting 11
Enzo Maresca said that Nico Jackson has just returned to training from an ankle injury, but may need some time to ramp up before seeing the field for game minutes. It leaves Christopher Nkunku and new signing Marc Guiu to compete for the striker position in Charlotte.
Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen gets the start in net after arriving from Villarreal a week ago, as he was with the team but did not take the field against Man City over the weekend. Cole Palmer and Marc Cucurella are still on extended break after helping England and Spain reach the Euro 2024 final.
Chelsea starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen (GK) — R. James, Badiashile, Colwill, Gusto — E. Fernandez, Lavia — Madueke, Nkunku, Sterling — Guiu.
Chelsea subs: Sanchez (GK), Betinelli (GK), Adarabioyo, Chilwell, George, Acheampong, Viega, Ugochukwu, Mudryk, Chukwuemeka, Dewsbury-Hall.
Real Madrid are still missing a number of internationals, with the midfield incredibly thin. Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, and Aurelien Tchouameni are all absent for a break following a deep Euro 2024 run, while midfield legend Toni Kroos has retired. Defender Dani Carvajal and new signing Kylian Mbappe are also still on their extended breaks, and Nacho has left the club to join Saudi side Al Qadsiah.
David Alaba is still recovering from his ACL tear and is not ready to return to the field. Brazilian duo Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo are back training with the team after their early Copa America exit, and should play a part in this match.
Real Madrid starting lineup (4-3-3): Courtois (GK) — L. Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, F. Garcia — Modric, Martin, Ceballos — B. Diaz, Rodrygo, Vinicius.
Real Madrid subs: Lunin (GK), F. Gonzalez, Vallejo, Paz, Latasa, Naveros, Aguado, Obrador, R. Asensio, de Leon, J. Martinez, Guler, Endrick.
Chelsea vs. Real Madrid live stream, TV channel
| TV Channel | Streaming | |
| USA | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes | Fubo USA, ESPN+, WatchESPN |
| UK | Premier Sports 1 | Premier Sports app/website |
| Australia | — | Paramount+ |
| Canada | — | Fubo Canada |
| India | — | FanCode |
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