Real Madrid end their preseason exploits with a trip to Germany, where they will face off with Schalke 04 on Sunday.
The 15-time European champions already have five preseason matches under their belts and have yet to suffer a defeat under the new leadership of José Mourinho. Los Blancos dispatched Alcorcón and Leganés behind closed doors before they drew Fiorentina 2–2, followed by victories over Ferencváros and Deportivo La Coruña.
Many of the friendlies have been played without the biggest names in white, but that could soon change as the team’s La Liga opener nears. Mourinho has now welcomed back all his players following summer break and will be eager to plug in his expected starters against some Bundesliga competition.
Schalke come into the friendly with four wins in their six preseason contests, but they will be licking their wounds following a 3–0 defeat to Atalanta. The German outfit’s final test comes against Real Madrid before it turns its attention to the DFB-Pokal.
Los Blancos still might not be at full strength for Sunday’s friendly, but they should have enough talent to get past Schalke. The likes of Arda Güler, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde have already logged heavy minutes this summer, and Vinícius Júnior is slowly catching up.
The additions of Kylian Mbappé, Yan Diomande and Jude Bellingham, among others, will be too much for the Bundesliga outfit to contain.
Mourinho’s men have found the back of the net in all of their friendlies so far and will like their chances of exploiting an inconsistent Schalke backline that just conceded three goals at home to a team far inferior to Real Madrid.
The 15-time European champions are far from infallible, though. Defensive questions persist, and Schalke will no doubt have the chance to catch Real Madrid out on the counter attack.
