Preview: Real Madrid vs Galatasaray (Bernabeu Trophy)

The 33rd edition of the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy will pit Real Madrid against Galatasaray today Wednesday 24 August. If Real Madrid wins against the Turkish team, will match its best streak with success. Real Madrid wins the trophy summer in a row since 2005. That summer, defeated a Major League Soccer team by 5-0. Since then, five more victories in 2006 against Anderlecht (2-1), in 2007 in front of Partizan (2-0), Sporting Portugal (5-3) in 2008, Rosenborg (4-0) in 2009 and against Peñarol last year (2-0). Defeating Galatasaray, Real will reach the record achieved between 1994 and 2000, when linked wins against Palmeiras, Ajax, Benfica, Portuguesa, Peñarol, Milan and Santos.

Real Madrid decided to honour the memory of Santiago Bernabeu by the creation of a tournament with his name the year after his death. Ajax, AC Milan and Bayern Munich accepted the club's invitation in the Trophy's first edition and have accepted it other times since. The long and illustrious list of former participants also includes teams like Hamburg, Liverpool, Everton, Inter Milan and Benfica. South American football has also been represented in the tournament by Santos, Palmeiras, River Plate, and a side comprising MLS stars. Galatasaray will be the first Turkish side to participate.

Varane is the main new in the Jose Mourinho's starting line up for tonight. The French center defender will partner with Pepe. Interestingly, the Portuguese and Varane have been those who have shared less minutes in the center of the defense during the preseason. They played together only 12 minutes, the last of the game against Leicester. Although in the preseason played more minutes together, because Pepe played a few matches as midfielder and Varane as right side defender.

Sahin will be another new face to be seen today on the pitch at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Madrid fans will enjoy the first minutes of Turkish midfielder with Real Madrid shirt. The Ottoman International completed yesterday the training with the rest of the group for a second day and will not have problems to play the final minutes of the match against Galatasaray.

On the other hand, Mourinho wants to keep Higuain focused in work hard and today will be starter against Galatasaray. The Argentina striker joined the preseason in the game against Leicester after the Copa America after enjoy two weeks of vacation, and has suffered the emergence of Benzema as a cyclone in the summer. French was the top scorer in the preparation white with nine goals, which moved 'Pipita' to the position of second striker.

Santiago Bernabeu Trophy