Chelsea concluded its preseason tour of the United States with a narrow 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in Charlotte, a result that likely exacerbated existing defensive concerns under new coach Enzo Maresca.
Concerns For Chelsea
The match highlighted Chelsea's ongoing problems in the defensive line, as Real Madrid managed to exploit defensive lapses several times during the first half at the Bank of America Stadium.
The scoring opened with a combination play between Lucas Vázquez and Dani Ceballos, followed by a goal from Brahim Díaz, who was named player of the match. Noni Madueke managed to reduce the deficit with a header before halftime, providing a glimmer of hope for Chelsea.
The second half was quieter, with no additional goals, which meant Chelsea returned from their US tour having lost three of their five friendly matches.
Prior to the loss to Real Madrid, Chelsea had suffered heavy losses to Manchester City in Ohio and Celtic in Indiana, and only managed a draw with third-tier Wrexham in California. Their only win came with a 3-0 victory over Mexican side Club America in Atlanta.
This mixed preseason performance underscores the challenges facing Maresca as he attempts to solidify the team ahead of the upcoming season of the Premier League.
Chelsea's final preparation for the new Premier League season includes hosting Serie A champions Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge next weekend. This match will be a crucial test before their league debut against Manchester City on August 18.
The meeting with City, a rematch on home soil, will be a significant early challenge for Maresca's side, given City's status as a top-tier competitor.
First Victory
For Real Madrid, the 2-1 victory marked their first win of a shorter U.S. tour, having previously suffered defeats to AC Milan and Barcelona. The victory provided a much-needed confidence boost for the reigning LaLiga and Champions League champions.
They are scheduled to face Europa League champions Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup in Warsaw next week, followed by their Spanish top flight debut against Real Mallorca four days later.
At the start of the match, Chelsea looked sharp, particularly with Noni Madueke posing a constant threat down the right flank and Raheem Sterling offering a dangerous option on the opposite wing. Sterling had notable chances, firing against the side netting and later heading over the crossbar from Christopher Nkunku's cross.
However, these promising offensive moves were overshadowed by Chelsea's defensive weaknesses.
Chelsea's defensive deficiencies resurfaced, with Reece James struggling to contain Real Madrid's offensive threats. Vinicius Jr, returning to Real Madrid's starting lineup alongside Brazilian compatriot Rodrygo, capitalized on these weaknesses.
The first goal came after James survived a penalty appeal from Vinicius Jr. Lucas Vazquez's initial shot was blocked by Malo Gusto, but Dani Ceballos managed to score from close range under pressure from new signing Filip Jorgensen.
Jorgensen was one of five players brought into the team by Maresca, along with Benoit Badiashile, Sterling, Madueke and Marc Guiu. He made crucial saves to prevent Real Madrid from extending their lead, including a key stop on Vinicius Jr. Sterling, on the other hand, was stopped by solid defending from Eder Militao.
Failed Opportunities
Despite these efforts, Madrid secured their second goal before the half-hour mark, with Brahim Diaz executing a brilliant finish after a well-placed pass from Vinicius Jr. Diaz beat Jorgensen and scored from a difficult angle, demonstrating his skill and composure.
Chelsea had a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit when Sterling played a clever one-two with Gusto, but his over-hit low cross failed to reach Nkunku, who was ready for an easy tap-in.
However, Chelsea soon got back into the game when Madueke easily beat Fran Garcia at the far post to head in Enzo Fernandez's cross. Former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois appeared to misjudge the trajectory of the ball, contributing to the goal.
At the start of the second half, Chelsea almost found an equalizer, with Andriy Lunin, who replaced Courtois, making a crucial save against Nkunku's effort. Young striker Marc Guiu also missed a key chance, opting to shoot rather than pass to the open Sterling.
Eder Militao had a chance to extend Real Madrid's lead, heading wide from a Rodrygo corner, while substitute Moises Caicedo intercepted a pass but could only shoot straight at Lunin.
🗣️ @Brahim, goal and MVP of the match: "We leave in good physical shape. "#RealMadridOnTour pic.twitter.com/1CXDDpmNqtb
- Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 7, 2024
Tie Did Not Arrive
The introduction of numerous substitutions disrupted the flow of the game, leading to a messy and fragmented second half with fewer chances. Real Madrid youngster Nico Paz managed to test Jorgensen with a low shot, but the Chelsea keeper was equal to the task.
Mario Martin had a chance from outside the box, but failed to make a clean connection, and Marco Asensio made a vital sliding challenge to prevent Mudryk from scoring inside the box. Mudryk had earlier embarked on a dazzling run, which ended with him firing high into the stands.
As Chelsea searched for a late equalizer, Madueke missed a great chance from a free kick. Real Madrid's Juanmi Latasa came closest to adding another goal late on, heading wide of the near post from a corner.
Despite their best efforts, Chelsea could not find the goal needed to avoid ending their U.S. tour with a loss, leaving Maresca with significant defensive issues to address before the start of the competitive season.
