MUNICH, BALIPOST.com – Real Madrid’s disastrous pre-season continued on Tuesday as they lost 1-0 to Tottenham in Munich.
“Our defeat was well deserved,” Real midfielder Tony Kroos told German TV after the match. It’s true that we’re not quite in good shape.”
In the second match of the evening, Bayern Munich thrashed Fenerbahce 6-1.
Champions League runners up Tottenham will play Bayern in Wednesday’s final. Real will have a chance to find winning form run against a Turkish side that finished their game against the host in disarray.
For Spurs, Harry Kane scored the only goal of the game with a deft finish after pouncing on a disastrous pass by Marcello, who was trying to prevent a throw in, after 22 minutes.
Humiliated 7-3 last week by Atletico Madrid, Real could thank goalkeeper Keylor Navas, starting in place of injured Thibaut Courtois, for preventing a heavier against an enterprising and more aggressive Spurs team.
Madrid survived some goalmouth scares in the first half. After the break, Dele Alli went close twice and 17-year-old Troy Parrott hit the inside of the post.
Zinedine Zidane’s team have conceded 13 goals and lost three of their four warm-up games.
“We started off very badly, the opponent took advantage of our mistakes,” said Kroos.
With Gareth Bale, the source of turmoil in recent weeks, left out of the squad for the trip to Munich and James Rodriguez yet to start after returning from Bayern, Real rarely threatened. Star summer recruit Eden Hazard was invisible.
Both teams will be in action again tomorrow. Tottenham play the winner of the Tuesday’s second match, between Bayern and Fenerbahce. Real will have the opportunity to make amends tomorrow against the loser.
Zidane’s men then travel to Austria to face Salzburg on August 6, then to Italy for a match against AS Rome, the last friendly before the starting the Spanish league away to Celta Vigo on August 17.
In the late game, Bayern scored five in the first half with two goals from Thomas Muller and one each from Renato Sanches, Leon Goretzka and Kingsley Coman.
“We played well from the beginning,” said Mueller who completed his hat-trick in the second half. “Fenerbahce made mistakes with our pressing. When you come into the dressing room at half-time five goals ahead, you necessarily feel good.”
Fenerbahce’s German international attacker Max Kruse scored a late consolation goal. (AFP)
