Real Madrid has lost almost nothing in 2024. The dominance of Los Blancos in terms of results compared to the rest of the continent is best reflected in the fact that they haven’t been defeated in a competitive match since January 18th. Carlo Ancelotti’s team was eliminated that evening by Atletico after penalties in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, and no one has matched that achievement since the Rojiblancos until last night. Real did suffer a defeat, but the least painful one possible, one that practically doesn’t count. Milan triumphed 1-0 with a goal from Samuel Chukwueze, adding another significant preseason victory after their win over Manchester City.The match played at Soldier Field in Chicago didn’t deviate from the usual marketing agenda. The strongest lineups (almost the strongest) in the first half, followed by many substitutes and “third-string” players in the second. Only the Rossoneri’s goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani spent 90 minutes on the field, with Paulo Fonseca making ten substitutions, and Carlo Ancelotti not lagging much behind in this regard. Luka Jović got a chance in the last twenty minutes but couldn’t manage to beat Andriy Lunin in that time. Milan fans might be more delighted by the performance of 17-year-old Mattia Liberal. The Italian U-17 national team player frequently won balls in the opponent’s half, distributed forward passes, and caused panic in Real’s defense. In one such instance, he sprinted like a bullet from midfield to the penalty area, then passed to the wing for the unmarked Chukwueze. The Nigerian easily scored in the 55th minute, securing what turned out to be an insignificant victory from a competitive standpoint but extremely valuable symbolically.##NAJAVA_MECA_8242054##
