Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the International Champions Cup clash between Real Madrid and Juventus at FedEx Field in Maryland. This is one of the highest profile friendlies taking place in the United States this summer, as the European champions face off against the reigning Italian champions in a repeat of the 2017 Champions League final.

The two sides also met in a thrilling Champions League quarter-final earlier this year - more on that a little later - so they certainly know each other pretty well. That is not to mention the small matter of Cristiano Ronaldo's recent transfer between the clubs, too, which set the Serie A giants back around £100m. There is no Ronaldo tonight, but there will be plenty of other superstars on show.

Juve have won all three of their pre-season outings to date, albeit with two of those coming via penalties, while Madrid suffered a 2-1 loss to Manchester United in their opener earlier this week. This is the concluding game of their United States tour for the Bianconeri, whereas Los Blancos still have Roma to face next week.

We are still awaiting confirmation of the team news, but we already know that Madrid are going to be without a number of their World Cup stars this evening. Los Blancos' pre-season programme is not the best for new boss Julen Lopetegui, who has just one more game to come after this one before a UEFA Super Cup showdown with Atletico Madrid in Estonia. Juve are also without a handful of key men, including new recruit Ronaldo.

REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Navas; Carvajal, Javi Sanchez, Nacho Fernandez, Sergio Reguilon; Federico Valverde, Toni Kroos, Ceballos; Bale, Benzema, Isco

SUBS: Vallejo, Ramos, Casilla, Reon, Odegaard, Leon, Theo, Feuillassiser, La Puente, Seoane, Lopez, Odriozola, Asensio, Mayoral, De Tomas, Kunin, Vinicius, Rodriguez, Quezada

The Madrid team news has just dropped, and as you can see it is not exactly the strongest XI. The likes of Javi Sanchez, Sergio Reguilon and Federico Valverde are all included to plug the gaps left by the absence of Los Blancos' World Cup stars. Raphael Varane, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Marcelo and Casemiro are yet to return to action, so some of the youngsters have a chance to impress.

Sergio Ramos, Keylor Navas and Isco have all returned to the Madrid squad, however, and the latter two are both included in the starting lineup tonight. Iker Casilla was used from the off against Manchester United in midweek, so Navas was always expected to be brought back into the fold tonight, while Isco is used in a front three that also includes Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.

It is a little surprising not to see Marco Asensio in the starting lineup, with Lopetegui seemingly keen to get as many minutes as possible out of the forward, but both he and new recruit Vinicius miss out against Juve. There will be plenty of eyes on Valverde alongside Dani Ceballos and the vastly experienced Toni Kroos, while full-back Dani Carvajal is another of the senior players included from the off.

Juventus are playing hardball with their team news, so before checking out the XI named by Massimiliano Allegri let us first look at Madrid in some more depth. Los Blancos are looking a little different now compared to a few months back when lifting the Champions League, having lost Cristiano Ronaldo in a shock transfer, shortly after Zinedine Zidane stepped down as manager.

Zidane won three consecutive European titles - unprecedented for club and manager in the modern era - and bowed out of the Bernabeu with six major trophies in all. The Frenchman felt that two-and-a-half years was long enough in the job, though, and it is now down to Lopetegui to keep his players motivated for more success at home and on the continent. The big question, however, is what exactly equates to a successful season for Madrid.

For many, the job taken on by Valverde is nearly impossible to succeed in. Zidane won three Champions League trophies in three seasons, which he added to with a La Liga crown a couple of seasons back - the club's first double since 1958. Lopetegui gave up a lot in accepting the task of succeeding Zidane, too, as he was sacked from his position as Spain manager on the eve of the World Cup.

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There is no doubt that this Real Madrid side looked stale for the vast majority of last season's La Liga season, though, eventually finishing down in third place, 17 points behind Barcelona and three adrift of rivals Atletico Madrid in second. Los Blancos have also waved goodbye to their undoubted star talent in Ronaldo; a player boasting a truly incredible 451 goals in 438 appearances in the famous shirt.

Many were expected a mass overhaul once Lopetegui arrived, but Madrid have so far been left frustrated in their rumoured pursuit of Chelsea duo Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois, although there could be some movement in the case of the latter judging by the comments made by his agent overnight. Vinicius Junior has arrived with plenty of expectation, and after Madrid paid Flemango £40m to sign him he will have to make some sort of impact in his debut campaign.

Alvaro Odriozola has also arrived and adds to Madrid's options in the right-back area, while Andriy Lunin provides goalkeeping cover for the time being. Even accounting for those additions, though, this has been an extremely quiet summer for Los Blancos in terms of incoming activity. For a club renowned for signing the best play at that summer's World Cup, Madrid chiefs have left supporters wanting more.

Madrid's plans to sign Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain - a player who fits into that World Cup star category - possibly went out of the window once Zinedine Zidane, one of his heroes growing up, stepped down at the end of May. Eden Hazard looks almost certain to stay at Chelsea, meanwhile, and Los Blancos could well find themselves rummaging around to find an extra attacking option come the end of the European transfer window.

That is assuming Lopetegui wants a new player or two. The ex-Spain boss has said all the right things to the media, insisting that he will be happy with his squad in the transfer window closes. Bale had the odd impressive moment last season and could well step up in Ronaldo's absence, but Benzema offered little to suggest that he can return to his form of old. Asensio is favourite to complete the front three, unless Lopetegui packs out midfield with an extra man.

If any positives can be taken from Ronaldo's exit, it is that Bale and Benzema now have the spotlight on them to shine, while Isco and Asensio - each important squad players in recent years - can step out of the shadow and become stars in their own right. Spain international Isco, in particular, has many admirers and this could well be the season that he joins the continent's elite group of players.

It is hard to see Madrid plugging the 17-point gap on Barcelona this coming season, however, and Atletico have themselves strengthened during the off-season. Lopetegui will be keen to start building some momentum, even if he is minus a string of regulars, having lost 2-1 to Man United in his first match at the helm. Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera both registered for the Red Devils in Miami, before Benzema pulled one back at the end of the first half.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS! These two sides have met in each of the last two campaigns, including in 2017-18 as Real Madrid claimed a 4-3 aggregate win in the Champions League quarter-finals. Los Blancos incredibly let slip a three-goal lead from the first leg, but Cristiano Ronaldo - so often a thorn in Juve's side - converted a penalty at the end of the tie to seal a semi-final spot.

Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Real Madrid will surely only spell bad news for the Spanish giants, having waved goodbye to a player boasting 451 goals in 438 appearances for the club. There is now added pressure on Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio to step up and contribute to more goals, while talented midfielder Isco also has the chance to become a superstar in his own right.

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JUVENTUS TEAM NEWS!

STARTING XI: Szczesny; De Sciglio, Benatia, Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Khedira, Pjanic, Marchisio; Cancelo, Favilli, Bernardeschi

SUBS: Barzagli, Pinsoglio, Macek, Perin, Pereira, Kastanos, Fernandes, Clemenza, Beruatto, Del Favero, Can, Rugani, Di Pardo, Fagioli

There is no Gianluigi Buffon at Juventus this season, so Wojciech Szczesny and Mattia Perin will battle it out for the number one jersey. This is another audition for the latter, who is protected by a talented and experienced back four of Mattia de Sciglio, Mehdi Benatia, Giorgio Chiellini and Alex Sandro. Benatia was benched against Man United last time out, but was always likely to be restored tonight.

Ronaldo is not the only notable absentee from Juve's ranks tonight, as Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado, Rodrigo Bentancur, Douglas Costa, Mario Mandzukic, Marko Pjaca and Blaise Matuidi's pre-season campaigns have also been cut short because of their World Cup exploits. Unlike Madrid, though, there is not exactly a weak area on the field when looking at each position.

Sami Khedira is up against international teammate Toni Kroos, while Miralem Pjanic and Claudio Marchisio are also included in a middle three, behind a forward line of Joao Cancelo, Andrea Favilli and Federico Bernardeschi. Favilli is one of the less heralded members of the squad, but he has enjoyed a good pre-season and has another chance to stake a claim for regular football next term - not easy when you consider Ronaldo and Dybala, among others, are still to return.

Juve have won the Italian top flight seven years running and have also been victorious in the Coppa Italia for four years running under Allegri. The Bianconeri really have dominated domestically, even if Napoli put up a seriously good fight last time out by accumulating more than 90 points - unprecedented for the runners-up - and they have not performed all that badly on the European stage, either.

Two European finals under Allegri is not bad going at all, and with Ronaldo in their ranks they have only got stronger. Many will argue, in fact, that Juve boast the best team anywhere on the continent while at full strength, with Ronaldo taking them up another level thanks to his proven pedigree. The Portuguese forward is the deadliest marksman in Champions League history, and while he will cost £26m a year in wages, Juve feel that it is a price worth paying.

Joao Cancelo has joined from Valencia in a £30m deal, Leonardo Bonucci has rejoined from AC Milan and Douglas Costa has penned a permanent deal following his spell on loan from Bayern Munich. Mattia Perin and Andrea Favilli will also play a big part this coming season, as will free agent Emre Can. It says a lot that the Old Lady felt that they could afford to offload Gonzalo Higuain to a rival club.

It has been a positive pre-season campaign for Juventus so far, as they beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in their opener - Favilli netting both goals in that one - before beating Benfica and an MLS All-Stars side on penalties following 1-1 draws in normal time. This is their toughest test yet on paper, and with a fortnight to go until facing Chievo in their Serie A opener, it is ideal preparation.

With kickoff at FedEx Field fast approaching, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.

Julen Lopetegui: "Cristiano is one of the most important players in the history of the club. He showed his intention to leave and the club facilitated his exit recognising the extraordinary legacy he left. It is an exciting challenge to reinvent the team without Cristiano - to make it competitive and go for all the trophies. We all have a great opportunity. We must be clear in what we want. We have great individuals and we will try to make a great team."

Massimiliano Allegri: "I am not in charge of the transfer market, that is up to the club. I don't even have a [senior] striker here, so let's see [about transfers] because we still have to return to Itay. When the market closes on the 17th the Juventus squad will be as competitive as ever. The club has worked very well and after this week of work we will go back. After that, we'll take stock of the window, which will be an excellent one regardless of what happens next."

Lopetegui opened up on the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this week, acknowledging that one of the club's most important players has departed but an "exciting challenge" now lies ahead. Lopetegui has his work cut out to plug the huge gap on Barcelona this coming season, and it has got to the point now that failing to lift the Champions League will be considered a disappointment for European heavyweights Madrid.

Juve boss Allegri, meanwhile, hinted that further incomings can be expected, although those comments were made just before Bonucci's return to the Allianz Stadium was confirmed. If the transfer window was to shut tomorrow, it would be considered a hugely impressive summer for the Bianconeri thanks to the arrival of arguably the world's best player in Cristiano Ronaldo. Throw the likes of Perin, Can, Favilli and Cancelo into the mix and you can see why supporters are so excited.

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KICKOFF:  We are up and running in this International Champions Cup clash. Real Madrid lost to Manchester United in their only other game in this friendly competition, while Juventus beat Bayern Munich and edged out Benfica on penalties.

Chiellini with a searching ball over the top towards Favilli, but the young striker could not quite get his foot on the end of it. Incidentally, victory for Juve tonight and they will be crowned International Champions Cup winners.

Five minutes into the match at FedEx Arena and Madrid are the side seeing more of the ball. The ground is packed out tonight, with around 60,000 expected through the turnstiles for one of the last ICC matches of the summer.

Two weeks to go before either of these sides play their first competitive match, so expect the two managers to make mass changes as the game goes on. For Juve, though, this is their last big test before taking on Chievo in their Serie A opener.

YELLOW CARD!  An extremely tough call form the referee, who opts to caution Mehdi Benatia inside the opening 10 minutes for pulling back on Isco. In a competitive game that is worth of a booking, granted, but in a friendly those infringements tend to go unpunished.

Bale tries, and fails, to bring down a ball over the top on his chest. No shame in that - it was a very difficult one to pull off. A reminder that this is Juve's fourth outing of the summer, compared to Madrid's second.

Not the highest tempo friendly thus far, with neither side able to create anything of note. Los Blancos are still feeling their way into the contest - it must be remembered that they are behind their opponents in their preparations for the new season.

GOAL!  GOAL! REAL MADRID 0-1 JUVENTUS (DANI CARVAJAL, OWN GOAL)

A disastrous moment for Dani Carvajal, who in attempting to cut out Joao Cancelo's left-sided cross succeeded only in tucking it past his own goalkeeper. The full-back did have to deal with the dangerous delivery, but under little pressure he should have been doing a lot better than that.

I'm not even sure that Juve goal can be considered a chance, so we are still awaiting our first clear-cut opening of the match. Allegri will be happy to have seen his side edge in front fairly early on, with the onus now on Madrid.

This match will go straight to penalties if it finishes all square in normal time. Italian champions Juventus have gone the distance in their last two outings - against Benfica and MLS All-Stars - going on to win both.

Madrid have been patiently probing away over the past five minutes in search of a leveller, but their play in the final third is very disjointed. One pass from Gareth Bale into the middle went straight to a Juve player to clear.

Favilli thought that he had 40 yards to run into after getting in behind the Madrid backline, but the offside flag was raised. Juve having to sit back a fair bit since going in front at FedEx Field around 10 minutes ago.

Not been the liveliest of matches in the opening 25 minutes, truth be told, with neither side technically managing a shot on target - Juve's opener came via a Joao Cancelo cross, which Dani Carvajal diverted into his own net.

Bale is unable to make the contact he wanted when spotted in the final third. A familiar story for not just the Welshman but Madrid in general, as they continue to toil with no reward. Still plenty of time left to find a response.

Chiellini clatters into Carvajal, leaving the Spanish full-back questioning why a yellow card wasn't showed. Chiellini did not commit to the challenge, though, and in trying to pull out of making full contact it actually looked worse than it was.

After a short drinks break in Maryland we are back under way. Not a lot for the 60,000 or so inside the ground to get excited about so far, with chances being kept to a minimum in the opening third of the contest.

A cross into the Madrid is comfortably dealt with by Keylor Navas. A second yellow card of the game has just been shown, this one for Alex Sandro following his strong challenge. This game is lacking any sort of intensity at the moment.

Bale, drifting out to the right-hand side, sends another cross into the middle which is again dealt with. No more Ronaldo to get on the end of those balls; the Portuguese's incredible leap will be sorely missed at the Bernabeu next term.

Madrid are building some pressure as we approach the closing stages of the first half. It has been a pretty disappointing display from Los Blancos on the whole, as they have created next to nothing despite seeing plenty of the ball.

GOAL!  REAL MADRID 1-1 JUVENTUS (GARETH BALE)

A superb finish from Gareth Bale gets Madrid back on level terms in Maryland! The Welshman had little time to get the shot away, and it bounced up awkwardly, but that did not stop him thumping in past Wojciech Szczesny from outside the area.

Madrid may have been restricted in terms of chances created, but that matters little when you have a player of Bale's quality. That was a half-chance at best, and he buried it out of reach to level up the scoreline five minutes before the break.

SAVE!  Wojciech Szczesny is at full stretch to help turn aside Sergio Reguilon's shot. Madrid are growing more and more into this International Champions Cup tie, and will not want to hear the half-time whistle.

HALF TIME:  REAL MADRID 1-1 JUVENTUS

Gareth Bale, now full of confidence after his impressive goal, takes on a free kick from 30 yards out and tests Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny down the middle. Real Madrid took some time to get going, but they ended the first half on top.

These two sides have got to know each other well in recent times, facing off in the Champions League quarters last season and the final in 2017, and they are now further associated following Cristiano Ronaldo's recent high-profile switch between the clubs. Ronaldo will not be involved in this prestige friendly, however, and in his absence Madrid toiled with little reward in the final third for large parts of the first half.

Juve, four games into their summer programme compared to two for Madrid, looked sharper in the early stages and took the lead 12 minutes in. Joao Cancelo was given space to run into down the left and sent a dangerous delivery into the box, which Dani Carvajal intended to cut out but only succeeded in sending past Keylor Navas in the Madrid goal.

Los Blancos did wake up after that setback, though, and after 25 minutes of probing they finally had a leveller. A little over two months on from his brace to win Madrid the Champions League, Gareth Bale controlled an awkward ball and fired a half-volley past Wojciech Szczesny to get off the mark for 2018-19. Sergio Reguilon, one of a few youngsters handed a start to plug gaps left by Madrid's World Cup absentees, then came close to edging his side in front from a smart effort inside the box.

BENCH WATCH!

REAL MADRID SUBS: Vallejo, Ramos, Casilla, Reon, Odegaard, Leon, Theo, Feuillassiser, La Puente, Seoane, Lopez, Odriozola, Asensio, Mayoral, De Tomas, Kunin, Vinicius, Rodriguez, Quezada

JUVENTUS SUBS: Barzagli, Pinsoglio, Macek, Perin, Pereira, Kastanos, Fernandes, Clemenza, Beruatto, Del Favero, Can, Rugani, Di Pardo, Fagioli

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KICKOFF:  We are back under way at FedEx Field in Maryland, where there is news of changes to bring you from the interval. Sami Khedira has been replaced by Nicolo Fagioli for the second 45 minutes, while Dani Carvajal is off and Alvaro Odriozola on. News on the other changes shortly...

GOAL!  REAL MADRID 2-1 JUVENTUS (MARCO ASENSIO)

Marco Asensio, one of five players brought on by Julen Lopetegui at the interval, gives Real Madrid the lead for the first time tonight. Another substitute in Vinicius claimed the assist, keeping his cool and picking out his new teammates at the end of a quick counter.

That was a straightforward enough pass for Vinicius, and we should not exactly be praising a £40m player for spotting a teammate six yards away, but the youngster has not long been on the field and he could so easily have opted to go it alone.

Favilli nearly gets his leg to the ball to help it over the line after it looped up into the air. Juventus, like Madrid when they went behind, are looking better now than a few minutes ago. Incredible how momentum can swing so quickly.

Juventus, remember, need victory tonight to secure the International Champions Cup title. They now have their work cut out, having squandered a one-goal lead to trail 2-1 with 35 minutes left to play at FedEx Field.

This latest free kick is left to Lucas Vazquez, who can only send it into the wall. Bale was among those to leave the field at half time, along with Toni Kroos, Isco and Dani Carvajal, with Vazquez, Asensio, Marcos Llorente and Alvaro Odriozola coming on.

There's real panic in the Juve box following a dangerous cross from Vinicius, who is living up to his price tag in these pre-season outings. The ball is eventually cleared away and the Italian side have a chance to regroup.

GOAL!  REAL MADRID 3-1 JUVENTUS (MARCO ASENSIO)

Juventus really have fallen apart. Real Madrid have a second goal of the second half and a third overall, as Asensio sneaks the ball under Szczesny following another bright move. Los Blancos are now in a very strong position in Maryland.

Madrid are giving Juve barely any time to breathe on the ball now. At one moment it looked as though they had four on one, but Vinicius took the wrong option on this occasion and Juve's covering defender won the ball.

Credit to Lopetegui's men, because they looked very disjointed in the first half. That was always to be expected, of course, with this just their second run-out of the summer, and they are now looking very comfortable.

JUVENTUS SUB! This is proving to be incredibly frustrating for Juventus, as they are barely being given a chance to touch the ball. When they do regain possession, they keep it for no more than a few seconds. Mattia Perin is on for Szczesny.

SUBS! As well as changing keeper, Rugani and Pereira have also been brought on for Benatia and Favilli. Madrid have turned to Mayoral Moya and Lunin for Ceballos and Navas, so they too have a change of goalkeeper.

SAVE!  Joao Cancelo blasts the ball on target from a slight angle, and substitute keeper Andriy Lunin - on the field for a matter of minutes - did well to get down and keep it out with his legs. That was Juve's best chance of this second period.

CHANCE!  Pjanic slipped the ball through for Chiellini, but the defender could not find the back of the net despite a positive first touch. Chiellini was clattered into in the process, but he looks as though he will be OK to see out the remainder of the game if needed.

JUVENTUS SUBS! Allegri, with his side now back on top, brings on another couple of subs. Fernandes and Pinsoglio are on for Pjanic and Chiellini. The Juve boss clearly sees no reason to keep Chiellini on after he picked up that knock.

Juve are really struggling at the moment, with Madrid simply not allowing them to pass the ball out. Up to 60,000 were expected at FedEx Field tonight, but word is that there are closer to 70,000 in attendance - they have been treated to a lively second half.

REAL MADRID SUBS! Following a short drinks break, Lopetegui makes two more changes. On come Odegaard and Leon for Sanchez and Nacho. The new Madrid boss really is taking a look at each and every one of his available players.

Juve are on the brink of their first pre-season defeat. The Italians had a two-minute spell a little earlier when coming close on a couple of occasions, but other than that this second period has been all about their superior opponents.

YELLOW CARD!  Nine minutes to go and Sergio Reguilon has just joined Benatia and Alex Sandro in being shown a yellow card for his challenge. A Juventus free kick is whipped into the box by Bernardeschi, and Lunin had to get down to block it on the line.

Lopetegui will be very pleased with what he has seen this evening. The opening half an hour was far from great, but since then Los Blancos have been the better side and have gone on to rack up a few goals.

A pitch invader halts play at FedEx Field, but play is soon resumed. A Juventus goal in the next couple of minutes would make things interesting, although at the moment that is looking incredibly unlikely as Madrid are holding firm.

It has just been confirmed that there are indeed over 70,000 in attendance this evening - a superb backing for both sides. Just three minutes of normal time left to play, plus presumably about four added on at the end.

Can't talk up the quality of Madrid's young players enough. They have all stood firm and have barely given Juventus a sniff in this second half. This result will well and truly give Los Blancos lift-off in terms of their preparations for the new season.

Into added time now and there is no real sign of the scoreline changing. Madrid did all the hard work in the first half of this second period, with Marco Asensio grabbing a couple of goals to turn the game in his side's favour.

Four minutes were added on but another pitch invader may see us pass the five or six minute mark. In truth, I think both managers would take full time now. Lessons to be learned for both, with two weeks to go before their seasons truly begin.

FULL TIME:  REAL MADRID 3-1 JUVENTUS

Real Madrid see out the remaining two minutes of added time for a comfortable 3-1 victory. Los Blancos may have started slowly, but they grew more and more into the match and were deserving winners in the end, with Marco Asensio grabbing a couple of goals from the bench in the second half.

That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from FedEx Field in Maryland. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, and be sure to join us at 2pm tomorrow as we switch focus to the Community Shield. See you then!