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Yes, it is only pre-season, but match against Real Madrid is mouth-watering nonetheless. Chelsea will be taking on Real Madrid in the final of the Guinness International Champions Cup. The game will be special for a number of reasons.
It will be the first time Mourinho comes up against Madrid since leaving them a few months ago. Chelsea will also face former manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is now in charge of the Spanish club.
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Juan Mata was a former Real Madrid youth team player, while Fernando Torres faced the Spanish giants on a number of occasions while playing for Atletico Madrid. Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo will be coming up against Chelsea for the first time since 2009.
This will be the first meeting since the 1998 UEFA Super Cup.
Unlike in previous seasons, the English Premier League and the Spanish La Liga start the same time. Hence, both clubs are likely to be in the same level of preparation.
For once, there is absolutely no pressure of winning. This is a time to savour the experience of playing against nine-time European champions.
Here are some of the best quotes ahead of the match.
Mourinho: “Real Madrid is playing this competition in pre-season here because I organised it for them.We play against a very special team with very special players, in a competition we are not obsessed to win. I will still make changes.”
Mata: “It will be very special for me to play against Real Madrid, a very important team to me in my career.”
Ashley Cole: “Real Madrid will be a huge test for us, they’re obviously one of the best teams in the world and I’ve had some good games with Cristiano Ronaldo down the years, so I hope this will be another exciting match.”
Eden Hazard: “Real Madrid is a massive club and they have a number of quality players with the likes of Ronaldo and Kaka. This will be the first time I’ve played against them and it will be a big game, not just for the players but also the fans.”
Prediction: It is a match only to build fitness, but Chelsea can just edge the match 2-1.
