Bournemouth vs Real Madrid

Real Madrid open their 2013/14 preseason account in England and a match against recently promoted Championship club Bournemouth.

A chance conversation between the son of Cherries chairman Eddie Mitchell and a contact at Real sees the "all whites" beginning this campaign at the inconspicuous Goldsands Stadium—formerly Dean Court.

Excitement is certainly building along the South Coast with the match already sold out and recent confirmation that Cristiano Ronaldo will lead a strong squad of players in this exhibition match.

Former Bournemouth legend Ted MacDougall will also be honoured before the start.

A stand that will be named after him will increase capacity to 11,000, and this uplift is sure to add more atmosphere to a fixture that has already had the locals talking for weeks.

With Bournemouth having already played seven friendlies of their own, the advance level of fitness from the home side could make things interesting, and older fans may even be hoping for a result akin to the greatest ever in their clubs' history.

Way back in 1984, reigning FA Cup holders and overwhelming favourites Manchester United came to town for a third-round tie.

They left with their dreams shattered as Harry Redknapp's inspired charges defeated the Reds 2-0 in a stunning upset.

Carlo Ancelotti won't want to lose his first game in charge and has kept his word by naming a strong 23-man squad for the trip.

Ronaldo is joined by the likes of Mesut Ozil, Luka Modric and new signings Isco and Asier Illarramendi, amongst others.
 
New Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who spoke to reporters Saturday for the first time since being presented to the media late last month, said Brazilian midfielder Kaka was working hard and was determined to improve on last season.
“It’s clear he is very confident and very motivated about this season. We’ll see what happens. He’s a player with a lot of character and wants to do things better than last year,” the Italian manager said of a player he also coached at AC Milan.
The coach touched on all aspects of the current club and analyzed his new team’s first few days of training in preparation for the 2013-14 season.
“It was a good week. We worked hard, with seriousness and professionalism. The players did a good job. They’re a bit tired but they put in some good work. I’m not surprised, but it’s good to begin a season with this spirit and this atmosphere,” he said.
Ancelotti replaced Portugal’s Jose Mourinho after a season in which Real Madrid finished second in the Spanish league behind Barcelona and lost to Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
Regarding Sunday’s first pre-season match against English second-tier club Bournemouth, he said “we have to be professional. Our physical conditioning is not optimal. Normal. Everyone is going to play 45 minutes and it will be important to start playing well.