A battle of juggernauts in the International Champions Cup 2016 on Saturday sees Premier League giants Chelsea taking on La Liga heavyweights and defending UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid at the Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Both teams are playing their second preseason 2016-17 matches. While the Los Blancos, coached by the legendary Zinedine Zidane, come into the game at the back of a 1-3 defeat against Paris St Germain (PSG) earlier this week, Chelsea are upbeat after a 1-0 win against rivals Liverpool.
Two defenders, Marcelo for Real Madrid and Gary Cahill for Chelsea, remained the goalscorers in the previous games for the respective clubs.
On paper, the match between these two sides looks like an edge-of-the-seat prospect and the high-intensity game will give both teams much to think about and analyse ahead of the start of the main season.
"Pre-season fixtures allow you to work on things so that they come as second nature," said Real Madrid coach Zidane in the pre-match presser. "I want to see a little bit more tempo and some of the things we've been working on in training. We're well prepared and I now want to see a bit of a stronger performance from my team.
"Those who come to the stadium will want to see a good Real Madrid display and we'll be trying to give them that. We'll have to play on the pitch regardless of the state it's in," the former France footballer added.
Chelsea coach Antonio Conte too knows the importance the game holds. "I hope tomorrow [Saturday] to use our minds. When you are tired it's important to use your head to improve with and without the ball, I hope to see this but I know after two days it is very tough to play these type of games," the Italian said.
Team news
Real Madrid: Zidane has mentioned that France striker Karim Benzema will not play a part in the game owing to a hip injury, while Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo would also not be available. The likes of Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and James Rodriguez, however, could be in contention to appear in the game.
Chelsea: Former Leicester City star N'Golo Kante was seen training for the first time in a Chelsea shirt ahead of the game and this could potentially indicate that the Frenchman could appear in the match in Michigan. Conte, meanwhile, has stated that Asmir Begovic will start in the goal while Thibaut Courtois will be brought in the second half. The likes of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa are also set for a return, while Cesc Fabregas remains suspended.
International Champions Cup 2016: Real Madrid vs Chelsea is scheduled for a 3 p.m. ET (12:30 a.m. IST, 8 p.m. BST) start on July 30.
Where to watch live
India: TV: Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD. Live streaming: Sony Liv
UK: TV: None. Live streaming: Chelsea TV
USA: TV: ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes TV. Live streaming: Watch ESPN
Spain: TV: Antena 3. Live streaming: None