Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s American tour -“the first pre-season match because we played the rest with what we already had,” said Mourinho-  could not have a better kickoff. The heavy defeat on Los Angeles Galaxy, the unparalleled debut of the ten players who made it through the European Football Championship semi-finals and, above all, the show performed at the Home Depot Center, clearly evidence that the Whites, despite being at the early stage of the pre-season, will stand before a team with more matches played recently, in their very first match in history in Las Vegas. Santos Laguna has already played three League matches and remains undefeated (two victories and one draw). These data ratify the toughness of a match that will find the best champion in the history of the Spanish League face to face with the winner of the latest Mexican Clausura Tournament (05:00 a.m. local time in mainland Spain - 8:00 p.m. local time).

Real Madrid will be playing their fourth pre-season match this early morning and the second one during their American tour, which began with an exhibition match against Los Angeles Galaxy. The Whites, who are in the early stage of the competition, continue to show their verticality and strike (they have scored 12 goals in three matches: four in each one). They will now try to ratify on the pitch of the Sam Boyd Stadium the good feelings they raised in their debut during this US tour..

REAL MADRID MATCHES DURING THE PRE-SEASON
RIVAL	RESULT	STADIUM
Real Oviedo	1-5	Nuevo Carlos Tartiere
Benfica	5-2	Da Luz
Los Ángeles Galaxy	1-5	Home Depot Center

They will be put to a hard test given the relevance of their opponent and their greater physical condition at this point. In fact, Santos Laguna, the current Mexican Clausura Tournament champion, has already played three matches during the Apertura Tournament. The stadium where the match will be played also turns this encounter into a special one. Captain Casillas puts it perfectly well: “We want people to enjoy our first visit in history to a city with a different charm. We have come to get ready and to get our first title and first League match ready as well. Santos Laguna has already started off the League and for us it will not be easy at all. We’ve already seen that with Benfica. They’ll try their best.”

Santos Laguna lands with more recent matches on their backs and undefeated after three League matches.

The Mexican team is especially motivated to play this match given the relevance of their opponent and will step in with some physical condition advantage. The latest Clausura Tournament champion has already played three matches during the Apertura competition and the final results evidence the strength of the fourth team that Real Madrid will be facing during this pre-season. In fact, they have played three matches coming out undefeated. San Luis (2-1), Chivas (0-1), who played against Real Madrid last year, and Puebla (2-2) have been the opponent teams.

Colombian forward player Carlos Quintero, who opened the scoring in the three League matches, and Hércules Gómez, the Californian striker of Mexican ascent, arrive at the field of play in extraordinary shape. They have been the goal scorers for the Mexican team during the Apertura Tournament (three goals scored by the former and two by the latter). Spanish player Marc Crosas is, perhaps, their best player. “As a football player you always want to play with the best and facing Real Madrid means doing it with one of the greatest teams in history ever and against the best players in the world,” says Crosas about the upcoming encounter.

Two record champions – face to face

Las Vegas will enjoy a superlative match. Real Madrid and Santos Laguna have not only won their respective Leagues, but have done so reaching historic records. The Whites set a new scoring record (100 points) and a goal record (121), while the Mexican team has been the team remaining the longest in the first position on the Clausura Tournament table (nine weeks). More than a good reason to attend the Sam Boyd Stadium.