Chelsea lose to Real in front of record crowd

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The largest-ever crowd for a Chelsea match – 105,826 – saw the Blues lose 3-2 to Real Madrid in a friendly at Michigan Stadium.

Chelsea were three down at half-time but improved after the interval and Eden Hazard scored twice after coming on as a substitute for the Belgian’s first outing of their pre-season campaign.

Hazard raced on to Nathaniel Chalobah’s pass and rounded the keeper before applying the finish.

And he scored a very similar goal in the final minute, this time after Michy Batshuayi supplied the forward pass.

Real went ahead when Marcelo’s 20th-minute shot took a deflection off Oscar, wrongfooting Chelsea keeper Asmir Begovic.

Marcelo netted again six six minutes later, pouncing after Blues youngster Ola Aina gave the ball away and riding a couple of weak challenges before thumping home.

With Real dominant, Begovic produced good saves to keep out Raphaël Varane’s header and Casemiro’s stinging drive.

But Begovic could do nothing about Mariano Diaz’s breathtaking 30-yard strike which put the Spanish side 3-0 up eight minutes before the interval.

Chelsea at least asserted themselves in the second half, with Juan Cuadrado going close with a free-kick and Batshuayi dragging a shot wide before Hazard’s brace.

Chelsea: Begovic (Courtois 45), Aina, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Oscar (Chalobah 45), Matic; Willian (Cuadrado 45), Traore (Moses 75), Loftus-Cheek (Batshuayi 45), Pedro (Pedro 64).