Real Madrid 4-1 Manchester City: 5 things we learned from Real's International Champions Cup win

Real Madrid pose after winning the International Champions CupIt was a one-sided affair at the MCG in Australia as Real Madrid cruised past Manchester City with a 4-1 victory to claim the International Champions Cup trophy thus concluding their pre-season campaign on a high note.Karim Benzema opened the scoring for Los Blancos in the 21st minute and the lead was doubled by Cristiano Ronaldo four minutes later who chipped the ball over City goalkeeper Joe Hart, after Toni Kroos superbly picked out the winger with a precise aerial through pass.City’s woes increased just before half-time as Pepe headed home Real’s third goal after Isco’s delivery from the corner wasn’t dealt with by the relatively inexperienced defense of City.However, during the stoppage time of the first half, City were offered a penalty by the referee who penalised Sergio Ramos for handling the ball which may or may not have been inside the 18-yeard-area. Toure stepped up and slotted home City’s only goal of the game. The second half saw the introduction of several substitutions as Real continued to dominate the play. Just before the final quarter of the game, Isco set up Cheryshev for a tap in and the Russian made no mistake and gave Real a 4-1 lead. From there on, there was no coming back for City as the La Liga outfit clinched the title in a convincing manner.Here are five things we learned from the game.

#1 Karim Benzema crucial towards Rafa Benitez\'s plans

Benzema scored the opener for Real Madrid

Although there has been no clarity on how manager Rafa Benitez is going to set his team up for the upcoming season or on what his tactics will be, one thing which is quite apparent is the fact that Karim Benzema still has a pivotal role to play in Madrid’s attack.

The French international has often been frustrating when it comes to converting chances in crucial moments. Over the past six seasons, there have been several instances where the 26-year-old failed to deliver and squandered chances which could have yielded different results for his team.

However, many tend to forget the fact that Benzema offers more than just goals and that he is vital for Real’s strikeforce. His ability to hold the play, link up with fellow attackers, run into spaces and create for his teammates alongside his finishing attribute makes him an invaluable figure in Madrid’s squad.

And that was exactly what Benzema brought in against City. He was all over the pitch in the opposition‘s half, linking up well with Ronaldo, Bale and Marcelo. His perfectly placed volley gave Real the lead and until he was taken off, the ex-Lyon striker was a constant headache for City’s defenders.

Looking at how things stand now, Benzema is very well a part of Benitez’s plans and it would be unwise of the Capital club to let him leave in this transfer window.

#2 Raheem Sterling fails to make an impact

Sterling earned a penalty for City in the first half but that was his only major contribution

After a lot of controversies and a bitter, drawn-out wrangle with Liverpool, Manchester City purchased Raheem Sterling for a fee of £49m. While several fans and pundits have been questioning about how ridiculous the England winger’s value is, his performance against Real Madrid certainly didn’t change anything to silence his critics.

Due to Sergio Aguero being unavailable, City manager Manuel Pellegrini started the former Reds man up front as the lone striker. Except on a couple of occasions, Sterling failed to trouble Real’s experienced backline of Pepe and Sergio Ramos (later Varane and Nacho in the second half) and cut an isolated figure as the game progressed.

The MCG crowd booed the 20-year-old whenever he touched the ball and made it worse after a theatrical dive inside the opposition's d-box. With the price tag of £49m hovering on his head, Sterling will have a lot to prove when the new season unfolds. For now, it’s a pre-season friendly so people can take it easy.

#3 Shades of counter attack sighted

Real outplayed City with their quick passing and movements

One of the things that came to the fore after Real’s disappointing 2014/15 campaign was the fact that the counter attacking aspect of the game vanished from a team that was once feared for it. Under Jose Mourinho, Los Blancos were a devastating side on the counter as they would finish oppositions in a matter of seconds.

However, Carlo Ancelotti completely transformed them into a possession based side who played some attractive football in the past two seasons but that came at the expense of killing one of their major strengths.

While the game against City in no way gave away the tactics that Benitez is willing to implicate on his team, it did seem like he is trying to get his team to play counter attacking football whenever the opportunity arises.

From the football that the whites demonstrated today, traces of Ancelotti’s side still persists and considering the kind of players Rafa has at his disposal, keeping the ball and moving it around in the centre of the park will remain their style of play.

But the way the front line of Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema supported by midfielders Isco and Modric pushed forward in quick intervals to put pressure on City’s backline, it was definitely a promising sign that the Bernabeu faithful will witness their side apply the counter attacking tactic again.

#4 City still mediocre against Europe\'s elites

Pellegrini’s men don’t look ready yet to take on the European giants

For the past three seasons in a row, Manchester City’s story in Europe against the big giants of the continent has been nothing short of disappointing. While they have won the Premier League on two occasions since new owners took over, they have not been able to replicate their domestic success in the continent.

Since qualifying for the Champions League, they failed to qualify out of their group stages for the first two seasons. And once they got past that in the 2013/14 campaign, they were sent packing out of the competition by Barcelona who repeated the same in the last season as well.

Even though this was a pre-season game, City, with almost a full strength squad at their disposal were no match for the 10-time European champions. Except for a few good buildups and notable moments here and there, Real always looked in control and were a class apart from the 2-time Premier League champions.

City need to up their game if they seriously want to compete for the Premier League title and establish themselves as a threat in Europe.

#5 Ronaldo and/or Bale to play a central role this season?

Ronaldo doubled Reals lead in the 25^thminute

A lot of speculations were doing rounds about how Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bales roles will be changed since Rafa Benitezs appointment as Reals manager. While there have been a lot of suggestions about one of them moving into a more central role, it does look like that idea is certainly going to be implemented in the new season.

Ronaldo shifting from the left flank towards the centre during the course of play is something which we are familiar with.However, in this game, the 30-year-old was in the middle of the park often trying to make runs as a centre forward. His only goal of the game came after Kroos found him inside the 18-yard area with a perfectly timed lob pass which was calmly slotted into the net.

In case of Bale, the Welshman played more of an attacking midfielders role and was often moving in from the left flank to provide support for Benzema. He played a similar role against Roma in the previous game and it looks like Benitez may employ one of them to lead the attack from the middle.

It will be interesting to see how things fall into place once James Rodriguez returns to the squad. Whether the Colombian will be used on the wings or will Bale retain his position on the right flank remains to be seen.