Real Madrid - AC Milan (3-2)

Milan started the "Soccer Champions Tour 2023" preparatory tournament in the United States with a defeat after losing 3-2 to Real Madrid this morning.

The clash took place at a rather inauspicious time, Hungarian time, at 4 a.m. It was the Rossoneri's second warm-up match after the 7-0 win against Lumezzane and also the first match on the American tour in the pre-season.

Fikayo Tomori's header and Luka Romero's fantastic long-range shot gave Stefano Pioli's team a two-goal advantage at half-time against Real Madrid, who came back into the game early in the second half with a double from Federico Valverde, who scored twice in the space of two minutes to score Marco Sportiello. Finally, in the beginning of the match, Vinicius Jr. set the final result and the Madrid team won 3-2.

Valverde:

The victory is a testament to our hard work and teamwork, and we couldn't be prouder to celebrate it alongside our incredible fans. This was our first game of the season, we were a little tired from training, now we will start to get used to the coach's system. We will feel much better in time.”

"I started the season with maximum motivation, with the same hunger for success and desire as always, in order to achieve my goals with this club. I try to have fun with the team and my teammates, who always help me to give my best. That's the wonderful part of it all."

“When you score 0-2 down, the team increases the pressure to try and equalize. It was the same now. I recovered the ball and it ended up in the net."

I relish winning the ball, savoring the exquisite passes from Modrić, and witnessing Vini's masterful finishing that leaves us in awe. This is a great team, if we all go in the same direction we can achieve great things. The anticipation for this season is palpable, and we can't contain our excitement as we look forward to what lies ahead.

Fran García:

"I'm glad the match turned out like that. I feel great that I was able to play with the team."

Through sheer determination, we put in the hours, comprehended our roles, and embraced the essence of teamwork—knowing that mutual support was the key to our success. We can adapt to different styles, whatever Ancelotti asks of us."

"It was a dream come true for me to wear this shirt again, it's a real honor to wear these colors. This is all unbelievable to me. I had the intention and the ambition to come back and wear this shirt again and defend the crest of Madrid."

Having played alongside Vini in Castilla, we recently reminisced about those days and shared fond memories of our time together. I'm proud of the way we played together, we have to keep working hard."

"When you experience what Real Madrid means, you start to see everything differently. The fact that we came to Los Angeles and everyone was so excited to watch us play just makes me happy."