Reigning Champions League and La Liga champions Real Madrid wrapped up their pre-season US tour with a 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Tuesday. The match, held at the home stadium of the NFL's Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, North Carolina, attracted a crowd of 62,617 spectators. This game marked the first start for Vinicius Junior in Real Madrid's warm-up matches ahead of their La Liga opener in 12 days.
Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the 19th minute with a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner. Brahim Diaz doubled the lead in the 27th minute, converting from a tight angle to slide the ball into the far right side of the goal.
Chelsea responded in the 39th minute when English striker Noni Madueke scored with a header from the right side of the six-yard box. Despite their efforts, Chelsea failed to find an equalizer, allowing Real Madrid to secure the win.
In another pre-season friendly, AC Milan and Barcelona played to a 2-2 draw in Baltimore, with AC Milan eventually winning 4-3 on penalties. Luka Jovic gave Milan an early lead in the 10th minute with an assist from Christian Pulisic. Pulisic then extended the lead in the 15th minute with a superb strike from a difficult angle, sending the ball into the top right corner.
Barcelona's response came from Poland's Robert Lewandowski, who scored in the 22nd minute and later netted the equalizer in the 58th minute, bringing the match to a 2-2 draw. The game proceeded to penalties, where AC Milan emerged victorious, securing a 4-3 win.
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