Real Madrid does the second portion of their “Texas two-step” Saturday night, when they take on arch-rivals FC Barcelona in Dallas on Saturday night. Other than midfielders Dani Ceballos and Arda Guler, they have a fit squad.
Having beaten Manchester United 2-0 last night in Houston, Texas, Los Blancos will look to complete the Lone Star State sweep with a preseason El Clasico. While it is a friendly, can anyone ever call it a “friendly” when these two teams get together?
El Clasico FYIs
Club Friendly: Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona
Kickoff: Sat July 29, 4pm CST, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX, USA
FC Barcelona Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Real Madrid Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Watch: ESPN+
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
This clash will be staged at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, a football cathedral that many call “Jerry’s World” (after megalomaniacal Cowboys owner Jerry Jones) or the Death Star. When you see it on TV, you’ll see why.
It’s exceedingly massive, overly expensive and truly state-of-the-art.
Take it all in, fans of both clubs (and neutrals as well)
Real Madrid Team News
As we said in the intro, Carlo Ancelotti has a mostly fit squad to choose from, but Ceballos is still not recovered from his hamstring injury. He’ll be out for a few weeks yet. As for Guler, the Turkish teenage phenom could be on limited duty here. Due to a knock with his thigh, his minutes will be managed.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram