Real Madrid will wrap up pre-season with a friendly in Gelsenkirchen against Bundesliga’s FC Schalke 04. It’s been a while since the two sides have faced each other. The fixture was repeated twice in 2014 and 2015 – in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. The 2014 visit away to Schalke is famous for the 6-1 thrashing, with Real Madrid’s iconic BBC trio scoring two goals each.
However, it was in 2015 that Madrid debuted their bright pink away kit in the Champions League, winning the game 2-0 on the night. Real Madrid’s starting XI consisted of Iker Casillas, Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Pepe, Marcelo, Lucas Silva, Toni Kroos, Isco, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo, led by Carlo Ancelotti.
Two brilliant goals in each half from Marcelo and Ronaldo earned a victory with two crucial away goals. Madrid lost the game at the Bernabeu by 3-4.
11 years later, no one from that team is at the club anymore. A new generation has arrived, now led by Jose Mourinho in his second stint as manager. They will take on Schalke in their final tune-up before the LaLiga season starts.