Enzo Maresca's Chelsea continued their poor preseason form with a routine loss to Champions League title-holders Real Madrid. But which Blues stars stood out against los Blancos according to national media? And which players do prominent journalists claim were disappointing on the night? There was one of the CFC squad who ostensibly annoyed some teammates as well.
Let's get to it straight away today, with no time to spare until a challenging, or troublesome, season gets underway. Maresca's side and setup are no where near polished enough to challenge for the best European spots in the Premier League at present.
The the west London outfit's roster is not too bad, in spite of still requiring reinforcements. Yet the team itself (with defence arguably being the main culprit) is a bit of a mess! The boss actually went so far as to mention the trouble he has preventing exposure regarding a high line.
Nevertheless, the Italian is known for his fastidious and organised ways. So don't be too worried, Blues fans. Trust me, I followed him over the past year for a Leicester website too.
However, there are pockets of the modern CFC group that do baffle me. There is no true leader at centreback: one who commands the upmost standards and respect. Axel Disasi appeared to be somewhat of a John Terry-type, but the jury remains out on the Frenchman.
Additionally, there are clearly far too many central midfielders, albeit talented as they are. Loans must be arranged. A marquee striker eludes the Stamford Bridge side for now; at least the wing department is bountiful. Although there does remain much for Maresca to do! So, how did they fare against Real?
Real Madrid 2-1 Chelsea: player ratings
Noni Madueke managed to get on the scoresheet, so that's one positive to begin with. The winger was, happily, described as a "constant threat" by one reporter. The same writer referred to defender Levi Colwill as "defensively lost", which is concerning.
The Sun gave the defence, consisting of goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, Colwill, Reece James and Benoit Badiashile, a collective rating of five. Although Malo Gusto received six in his inverted role.
New signing prospect Marc Guiu supposedly irked his peers. He did this by constantly passing backwards, if we trust Daily Mail's assessment, the forward was given five. Raheem Sterling, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez and Christopher Nkunku each were rated as sixes. Madueke got seven.