That’s all for now! Thanks as always for following with us and be sure to check the match report below.
Updated
Full time: Real Madrid 3-2 Chelsea
And there’s the whistle. The scoreline will make it look closer than it was, considering Real Madrid more or less sent on their youth team when the score was 3-nil. But it’s nice consolation nonetheless for Chelsea, who today played before a bigger crowd than ever before in their 102-year history.
GOAL! Real Madrid 3-2 Chelsea (Hazard, 90 min+1)
Chelsea catch Real’s youngsters out of position and Hazard beats the keeper in a one-on-one at the end of a quick counter-attack and they’ve closed it to 3-2.
90 min: Fourth official signals for two minutes of stoppage time.
87 min: We have two pitch invaders at Michigan Stadium, including one who’s doing quite some job evading the three police officers in pursuit. Surely the referee will account for the break in play in stoppage time.
Two fans get on the field at Michigan Stadium and are taken off the field by security. #ICC2016 pic.twitter.com/O0r9dbu2EA
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) July 30, 2016
85 min: Batshuayi’s effort sails wide of the goal. Moments later he’s denied again after receiving a well-worked pass from Moses.
84 min: Chelsea win another free kick on the edge of the area. Looks like Batshuayi will take it.
GOAL! Real Madrid 3-1 Chelsea (Hazard, 80 min)
A strange miscommunication finds the keeper way out of position as a long ball falls to Hazard, who simply deposits it into the gaping net.
79 min: Hazard’s free kick sails over the crossbar. Just one of those days for the Blues.
78 min: Enzo Zidane, the manager’s son, gets a handful of Moses’ shirt and finds himself in the referee’s book. A free kick here for Chelsea on the edge of the area.
76 min: The Nigerian winger Victor Moses comes on for Traore.
74 min: Signs of life from Chelsea as the ball is worked up the right flank. Traore finds Batshuayi, whose shot to the far post from the edge of the area skids wide.
69 min: Mariano Diaz has a go from distance but it sails wide right of the post.
67 min: The official attendance for today’s match is 105,826, which is the second largest crowd to ever watch a soccer match in the United States.
64 min: Six Real players are coming off as Yañez, Tejero, Lienhart, Llorente, Ødegaard and Enzo Zidane enter.
61 min: We’re just past the hour mark and it looks like Real is about to send in a small army of subs, many of fresh-faced variety. Looks like the youth team will be getting some run today.
59 min: Chelsea with their best chances in ages as Chalobah releases Traore with the keeper Casilla badly out of position, but the shot is blocked by Nacho.
57 min: Casemiro shown yellow for a foul from behind. Real seem to have scaled back the intensity in the early going here, comfortable as they are with a 3-nil lead.
52 min: Cuadrado’s effort is way off the mark and Real will have a goal kick. Moments later Chelsea are on the attack again with Cuadrado surging up the right flank, but he’s fouled, giving the Real players time to return into position.
51 min: Chelsea win a free kick near the top of the area. Can they pull one back here? Cuadrado to take it.
48 min: Courtois, Chalobah, Cuadrado and Batshuayi are on for Chelsea, replacing Begovic, Oscar, Willian and Loftus-Cheek. Only one for Real Madrid: Danilo comes on for Dani Carvajal.
46 min: And the second half is underway. We’ll catch you up with the subs as soon as we’re up to speed.
Did someone say half-time substitutions? It looks like the Michigan ice hockey team is rearing to go. Though it’s doubtful they’ll be needed given how many players Real Madrid brought to America (30!).
If anyone needs a sub at #ICC2016 we've got a few ⚽️ ringers. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/ibmTzNUOSj
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) July 30, 2016
It may be only a friendly. But today’s first half is cause for concern for at least one Chelsea supporter.
@BryanAGraham deeply Matic and Oscar scare me, Cahill worries me and Begovic kills me
— crypt() (@leonkal) July 30, 2016
This is a wakeup call for Chelsea to buy and sell
Changes expected at half-time. Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard are likely to come on per Antonio Conte’s remarks yesterday.
Half-time: Real Madrid 3-0 Chelsea
A Marcelo brace and a moment of brilliance from Mariano and Real Madrid are three up on the hapless Blues.
45 min: Fourth official signals for one minute of stoppage time.
42 min: Chelsea on the attack for the first time in what seems like ages, but it doesn’t last long. They’re dispossessed and Cahill is shown yellow when he hacks down a Real player on the counter-attack.
40 min: Another iffy challenge from Pedro along the touchline and the referee wants a word. He’s already on a yellow ... but it looks as if he’ll get away with a stern talking-to.
GOAL! Real Madrid 3-0 Chelsea (Mariano, 37 min)
Seven quick passes in the build-up before the ball ends at Mariano’s foot and he immediately cracks a shot from outside the area past the outstretched arms of Begovic. Friendly or not, a jaw-dropping goal from the 22-year-old. Wow.
Updated
35 min: An inside tip from a loyal blog reader.
@BryanAGraham Real Madrid won't score a goal today. Book it and post this on your website and let everyone cash in on Chelsea !!!!
— Bitcoin Protected (@BitcoinProtect) July 30, 2016
But do they have any stock tips?
34 min: More poor defending by Chelsea and Real break through and nearly make it 3-nil – but they’re saved by the offside flag!
33 min: Shortly after the Real Madrid corner comes to nothing, Pedro is shown yellow for a tackle from behind on Marco Asensio.
29 min: Casemiro takes the kick and blasts it around the wall. Begovic does well to turn it away and Real will have a corner.
28 min: It appears Traore handled the ball there. He’s shown yellow so the referee must have believed there was intent. More pressingly Real will have a free kick from the top of the area.
GOAL! Real Madrid 2-0 Chelsea (Marcelo, 26 min)
Chelsea concede in the middle third, Marcelo wins the tackle, receives a pass from a team-mate and rumbles with the ball into the area before booting it past Begovic for his second goal of the afternoon.
23 min: The free kick is sent in and nearly headed into the goal by Varane, but Begovic is there to parry it over the cross bar. More poor set-piece defending, this time from the Blues.
22 min: Lucas Vazquez hacked down by Gary Cahill and Real will have a free kick from a reasonably good position about 25 feet outside the area.
20 min: An eerily quiet crowd today given the size.
GOAL! Real Madrid 1-0 Chelsea (Marcelo, 19 min)
Well that was strange. Marcelo dribbles past two defenders before ripping a shot from outside the area with his weaker (right) foot. It deflects off a defender and above the helpless Begovic into the goal.
15 min: Nacho somehow avoids the referee’s book despite a reckless challenge on Traore near the halfway line.
13 min: Traore finds Pedro in space but the Spaniard gives it away poorly along the left flank. A squandered chance, that.
11 min: Oscar with a clattering challenge in the midfield but the referee says play on despite Real’s complaints. He’s looks quite good playing in a deeper role today so far.
9 min: A bit of a lackluster start. Pedro has a go from distance but it’s easily corralled by Casilla.
5 min: Now it’s Real on the attack and forcing Begovic into emergency action but the threat is defused. And now an email from Shaun:
record attendance? there were 109,318 for the Manchester United game in Ann Arbor in 2014. can’t remember who we played....
They’re saying today’s crowd “could be” because it’s an unconfirmed number that may exceed the attendance for the Man U friendly. Guess we’ll find out later on today. In the end it’s all just carnival barking, innit?
3 min: Willian’s effort is sent in to John Terry, who nearly puts it in for an early goal! Alas, he can’t quite control it and it’s out for a goal kick. Very disorganized defending from Real Madrid early.
2 min: Chelsea win a free kick early. Willian to take it.
1 min: And we’re off! Real Madrid in classic all-white kits attacking from right to left, Chelsea in their new dark away strips going from left to right.
And the players are emerging from the tunnel. Not much longer now. No Ronaldo or Benzema for Real Madrid – they’re listed as injured – nor Bale, who is recovering from the Euros. Chelsea is down Cesc Fabregas after his red card against Liverpool on Wednesday
A reported crowd of 106,000 are on hand for today’s friendly. Apparently that could be a record for a soccer match in the United States. A confirmed number will be circulated during the second half and we’ll be sure to share it with you.
Michigan Stadium is nearly full as kickoff draws near. No small feat! Some scenes from the Big House.
Michigan Stadium has filled up for Real Madrid vs. Chelsea. #ICC2016 pic.twitter.com/Y1k205AKua
— Evan Petzold (@EvanPetzold) July 30, 2016
At the #ICC2016 #RealMadridvsChelsea match at the #BigHouse pic.twitter.com/BYBQKLxvFM
— Mohan Kartha (@mckartha) July 30, 2016
Okay. Sure. #Chelsea #ICC2016 pic.twitter.com/L7JRx24cPB
— Dane Mamula (@danemamula) July 30, 2016
About 10 minutes to kickoff. Looks like Luka Modric is a Tom Brady fan. Brady played for the Wolverines from 1995 to 1999, finally winning the starting job as a junior.
🎥🇺🇸⚽️🏈 #RMTour
— Real Madrid C. F. (@realmadrid) July 30, 2016
¿Quién es el jugador favorito de fútbol americano de @lm19official?#HalaMadrid https://t.co/hRvHHMCw7n
The teams!
Warm-ups are underway at Michigan Stadium. Here’s a look at today’s teams.
Real Madrid
Casilla, Carvajal, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo, Casemiro, Kovacic, Lucas Vazquez, Morata, Asensio, Mariano
Chelsea
Begovic, Aina, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Oscar, Matic, Willian, Traore, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro
It’s been a busy week for the grounds staff at Michigan Stadium. They’ve been charged with replacing the artificial FieldTurf with real grass ahead of today’s friendly. The first of more than 25 loads of sod arrived Monday and were laid on top of the artificial surface.
Hello and welcome to today’s friendly between Real Madrid and Chelsea at Michigan Stadium. The 107,601-seat home of the Michigan Wolverines – the second largest venue on the planet after North Korea’s Rungrado 1st of May Stadium – is a fitting stage for two of the world’s biggest clubs as they continue their pre-season preparations.
Chelsea have already played three pre-season friendlies in addition to their International Champions Cup opener: a 1-0 win over Liverpool on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Real Madrid opened their pre-season earlier this week with a 3-1 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.
Plenty more to come from Ann Arbor.
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s the latest on Real Madrid’s coy courtship of Paul Pogba.
Zinedine Zidane has hinted Real Madrid could move for Paul Pogba despite Manchester United’s willingness to pay a world record fee for the midfielder.
United have been pursuing Pogba all summer and would contemplate a £100m fee or more for the 23-year-old. Yet Real are Pogba’s preferred choice and if his personal terms and the price demanded by Juventus are met by them United face losing out.
Zidane said: “I don’t know if he will come. Until 31 August anything can happen. Everyone is interested in Pogba. He is a great footballer and when you are Madrid you always want the best. But now he is not a Real Madrid player, he is a Juventus player. I can’t say anything more.”
If Pogba were to sign for Real it would be a significant disappointment for José Mourinho.
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