The legendary James Taylor sung that he’s “gone to Carolina in my mind.” That’s reality for Real Madrid and Chelsea FC, who will also be in Carolina, physically and literally too. The two sides will try to shake off disappointing friendly losses from last night as they continue their preseason tours in the United States. Up next is Charlotte, North Carolina, where the two sides will clash in the home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
While it is just a friendly, this will certainly be an all business trip for both clubs. Which is good, because Charlotte offers next to nothing for visiting tourists.
Preseason Friendly FYIs
Real Madrid vs Chelsea FC, the “Soccer Champions Tour”
Kickoff (local time): Tue. Aug 6, 7pm, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC, USA
Team News: Real Madrid Chelsea FC
Starting XI Predictions: Real Madrid Chelsea FC
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Well, it does have the NASCAR Hall of Fame/museum, but other than that…well, it’s just not a place with tourist attractions, despite being a large, major city.
Los Blancos Team News
As of now, Madrid have only one injury concern- David Alaba, who is still recovering from his ACL injury. While the squad is fit, they will still have a ton of absentees, due to players on extended holiday following their international tours of duty at the Copa America and European Championships.
The list includes the likes of Federico Valverde, Kylian Mbappe, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Real Madrid Starting XI Prediction vs Chelsea FC (Club Friendly)
Thibaut Courtois; Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Fran Garcia; Arda Guler, Mario Martin, Dani Ceballos; Rodrygo, Endrick, Vini
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor 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 currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.