European football giant Real Madrid will finish their 2018 International Champions Cup campaign against Italian squad AS Roma on August 7, 2018, at the Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Los Blancos began life without Cristiano Ronaldo and under new manager Julen Lopetegui with a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester United at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami last week. But they quickly turned things around with a 3-1 victory over Serie A champion Juventus in their second appearance at the 2018 International Champions Cup.
Real Madrid fell behind early after an own goal by Dani Carvajal barely 12 minutes into the match. But Bale set the stadium on fire with a long-range shot from a half-volley. Marco Asensio’s second-half brace sealed the deal for Lopetegui’s squad.
This will be Real Madrid’s final game before facing city rival Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup finals in less than two weeks.
Like Real Madrid, AS Roma is 1-1 in the current International Champions Cup tournament. Roma lost to the Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 in their opening game but bounced back with a 4-2 win over the reigning La Liga champions Barcelona in their second match.
Di Francesco’s squad had to come from behind two times after Rahinha and Malcolm scored in between a goal by Stephan El Shaarawy. A late three-goal flurry in the second half by AS Roma saw Alessandro Florenzi, Bryan Cristante, and Diego Perotti scoring one goal each to give Roma the 4-2 victory.
Similarly, AS Roma lost key players during the summer but their loss also saw the addition of new names who can help the squad next season. Roma bolstered its squad with Javier Pastore, Justin Kluivert, and Gregoire Defrel. Meanwhile, the Los Blancos added Vinicius Junior and Alvaro Odriozola to their lineup.
Here are the predicted starting lineups for Real Madrid vs AS Roma on 8/7/18:
Real Madrid Predicted XI
Real Madrid has little time to prepare for the Super Cup finals in Tallinn so with Sergio Ramos back from his extended World Cup vacation, Julen Lopetegui will likely field a strong lineup with Ramos in the starting XI. World Cup champion Sergio Varane though has just returned from his own break so it’s possible that Jesus Vallejo will start at center back.
AS Roma Predicted XI
E Dzeko, Il Faraone, and Diego Perotti have been the most consistent players for AS Roma in this preseason tour. Dzeko and Il Faraone will most probably get the start in this match and AS Roma will need them to be on top of their game if they are to beat Real Madrid. Robin Olson will look forward to establishing himself as the club’s top goalkeeper after the departure of Alisson to Liverpool.
The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo has left a huge void in Real Madrid. But after stealing the spotlight from Ronaldo during Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph against Liverpool, Gareth Bale is ready to show that he is the new main man for Real Madrid. This early, the Welshman is relishing his new and elevated role with his squad. Julen Lopetegui will count on Bale to lead Real Madrid against AS Roma.
Like their opponents, AS Roma also saw some of its big names depart last summer. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker and midfielder Radja Nainggolan leaving AS Roma for better pastures. These losses will certainly have a big effect on AS Roma this season. Sporting director Monchi has given the club a handsome sum in transfer fees but the question is whether his team can compete with the elites this season.
Real Madrid looks solid on paper and they are most likely going to field a strong starting XI in preparation for the UEFA Super Cup. Meanwhile, Di Francesco will continue to make adjustments with his lineup. Both teams lost their strongest player during the summer and will be looking for others to step up to the plate. Bale has done that for Real Madrid. Against the Los Blancos, the Italian club doesn’t match in firepower. There’s just too much quality on the Spanish side here. We’re picking Real Madrid to beat AS Roma on 8/7/18..
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