Real Madrid 2-1 Chelsea: Enzo Maresca's defensive worries worsen as US tour ends with another defeat

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Evening Standard

·7 August 2024

Real Madrid 2-1 Chelsea: Enzo Maresca's defensive worries worsen as US tour ends with another defeat

Blues look alarmingly suspect at the back again as Champions League holders prevail

Chelsea concluded their pre-season tour of the USA with a narrow 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid in Charlotte that will likely have provoked more defensive concerns.

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The Blues’ backline issues under new boss Enzo Maresca were on display once again during much of the first half at Bank of America Stadium, with a combination of Lucas Vazquez and Dani Ceballos and then man-of-the-match Brahim Diaz taking advantage before Noni Madueke’s header reduced the deficit before half-time.

A more pedestrian second period yielded no further goals, meaning Chelsea head back across the Atlantic having lost three of their five latest friendlies Stateside, with Tuesday night’s reverse following heavy defeats by Manchester City in Ohio and Celtic in Indiana and a draw with third-tier Wrexham in California.

Chelsea’s only win under Maresca so far came with a 3-0 triumph over Mexican side Club America in Atlanta last week.

They now host Serie A champions Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge in one final summer friendly next weekend before opening the new Premier League season with a rematch against City on home soil on August 18.

For Madrid, the win was their first of a shorter American sojourn, having lost to both AC Milan and Clasico rivals Barcelona in recent days. The reigning LaLiga and Champions League winners will be thankful of the confidence boost ahead of next week’s Uefa Super Cup showdown against Europa League holders Atalanta in Warsaw, which is followed four days later by their Spanish top-flight opener away at Real Mallorca.

Chelsea looked sharp early on in North Carolina, with Madueke particularly threatening down the right flank and Raheem Sterling also offering a dangerous option on the opposite wing.

Sterling thrashed into the side netting and then headed the first real chance of the night well over the crossbar after being picked out by a cross from Christopher Nkunku.

However, the alarming defensive shortcomings that have been an all-too-familiar theme of Chelsea’s US tour soon reared their head again, with Reece James struggling and Vinicius Jr looking to take advantage having returned to the Real Madrid starting lineup along with fellow Brazilian Rodrygo, with Endrick and Arda Guler both dropping to the bench.

The opening goal, which came after James had survived a penalty appeal with a fair challenge on Vinicius Jr, was extremely messy from Chelsea’s perspective, their suspect backline cut apart all too easily and Vazquez seeing a shot blocked by Malo Gusto before Ceballos slid in to help it home from close range under pressure from new signing Filip Jorgensen, one of five players brought into the team by Maresca along with Benoit Badiashile, Sterling, Madueke and Marc Guiu.

Jorgensen had to be alert to stop Real from doubling their lead as the pressure mounted, while Sterling was denied by some solid defending from Eder Militao.

But Madrid would not be denied as shortly before the half-hour mark a gorgeous pass in behind from Vinicius Jr set away Brahim, who did brilliantly to round Jorgensen before slotting home from a tough angle.

Chelsea should have cut the deficit when Sterling played a great one-two with Gusto, but overhit his low cross for Nkunku and denied the Frenchman a straightforward tap-in.

They were soon back in the game though, Madueke beating the stationary Fran Garcia all too easily at the back post as he headed in Enzo Fernandez’s cross with ex-Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois seemingly misjudging the flight of the ball.

Real were almost caught cold straight after the break, but Andriy Lunin - who replaced Courtois at half-time - was equal to Nkunku’s effort before young striker Guiu then fired off target with Sterling free and open to his left.

Militao headed wide from a Rodrygo corner, while substitute Moises Caicedo picked off a stray pass and fed Guiu, who could only shoot straight at Lunin.

Mykhailo Mudryk came off the bench and embarked on a dazzling mazy run, which ended in him lashing a woeful effort high into the stands.

A constant stream of substitutions turned the game into a scrappy and disjointed affair suddenly lacking in chances, with Real Madrid youngster Nico Paz testing Jorgensen with a low drive.

Mario Martin couldn’t make a clean connection on a strike from outside the box, while Marco Asensio made a crucial sliding challenge on Mudryk inside the area before Madueke wasted a great free-kick opportunity as Chelsea looked for a late equaliser to stop their tour from ending on a sour losing note.

However, they could not find one as Madrid youngster Juanmi Latasa instead went closest to a last-gasp goal, heading wide of the near post from a corner.