The MLS All-Stars certainly won’t be short of attacking talent for the All-Star game. Reigning MVP David Villa, who has a lot of experience going up against Real during his time at Barcelona, should get the nod to lead the line after having another stellar first half of the season with 14 goals (2nd in the league).
Meanwhile, this year’s breakout star surprise top scorer Nemanja Nikolic (16 goals) from the Chicago Fire will likely partner him up front. MLS coach Veljko Paunovic will also have the likes of Jozy Altidore, Sebastian Giovinco, and Dom Dwyer to choose from in attack.
His options in midfield are no less star-studded. Former Real Madrid superstar Kaka and former Bayern Munich great Bastian Schweinsteiger are top options to marshal the midfield alongside the likes of Americans Michael Bradley and Dax McCarthy.
However, the defense in front of starting goalie Tim Howard has nowhere near the number of recognizable names or the proven quality to go up against a very dangerous Real Madrid side. The MLS All-Stars haven’t kept a clean sheet since 2017 against Celtic, and with the caliber of their defense, it’d be a huge shock if they do so against the Spanish and European champions.
Real Madrid will make the trek to Chicago coming off a disappointing run at the International Champions Cup. Real drew with Man United in their first match before losing on penalties, and proceeded to lose their next two matches against Man City (4-1) and Barcelona (3-2).
Star forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been missing during their preseason campaign to give him more time to rest after his Confederations Cup commitments, and will miss the All-Star game as well. But even without the prolific Portuguese superstar, manager Zinedine Zidane still has a wealth of attacking talent in his squad.
Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema have started all three preseason games, but it remains to be seen if Zidane will opt to rotate his squad and give his younger players the start. The likes of Borja Mayoral, Marcos Llorente, and Marco Asensio have taken part in the past couple of matches, and will likely get more playing time against the MLS All-Stars.
The Real defense is still in preseason form, so they may be susceptible to the odd goal. But with the firepower they can boast up front, it’s hard to see Real getting outgunned even with a heavily rotated starting XI.
Writer’s Prediction
Real Madrid (-318) finally picks up a preseason win as they top the MLS All-Stars, 3-1.
