Real Madrid 2-2 Arsenal (3-2 on penalties) - 4 players who impressed for Los Blancos

Real Madrid showed great grit and determination to come from two goals down and snatch a draw before going on to triumph on penalties in their International Champions Cup clash against Arsenal.

Los Blancos found themselves a goal and man down as early as the first ninth minute when defender Nacho was sent off for a second bookable offense after handling the ball in the penalty area.

Their performance in the first half suggested that it would be a second straight defeat for Los Blancos having fallen to a 3-1 reversal against Bayern Munich four days ago.

However, a slew of changes by Zinedine Zidane at half-time helped swing the pendulum back in his side’s favour and the Frenchman would have been very pleased by what he saw from some his players.

In this piece, we shall be highlighting the four most impressive players for Real Madrid in their match against Arsenal.

#1 Gareth Bale

By all indications, Gareth Bale is on his way out of the club, with Zinedine Zidane saying so himself in no uncertain terms.

Having elected not to feature against Bayern Munich in Real Madrid’s last fixture (by Zidane's admission), there was space on the bench for the Welshman, watching on while his teammates were all over the place in the first 45 minutes.

Given the massive underperformance by Los Blancos in the first half, whole scale changes were required at the interval and Zidane begrudgingly turned to his castaway star.

Real Madrid’s second most expensive player took the place of the man (Hazard) who inherited his title and the difference in their performance could not have been starker.

It took the 30-year-old only 11 minutes to find the back of the net, as he was on hand to latch onto a loose ball in the box and poke it into the back of the net to put Real right into the game.

For the entirety of his 45 minute spell on the field, Bale was lively and he fashioned a great chance for himself in the 66th minute after he connected with a Vinicius cross to force a save from Emiliano Martinez, while also clearing off the line for Real Madrid to keep them level.

The only drawback to his performance was his missed penalty in the shootout but even that takes nothing away from his sublime display.

While Zidane and many fans might not think so, barring injuries, Gareth Bale is one of the best players in the world and in what might have been his last performance in a Real Madrid jersey, the two-time PFA Player of the Year served a timely reminder of his abilities.

#2 Marcelo

Marcelo is another player to have been linked with an exit in recent months, having struggled for form horribly during the course of the last season.

His poor form saw him left off Brazil’s Copa wining squad and Real Madrid’s decision to spend big on Ferland Mendy was seen by many to be the beginning of the end of Marcelo’s illustrious Real Madrid career.

The new signing started at left-back for Real Madrid and having been part of a porous backline, Zizou turned to the more experienced Marcelo and this was a decision that reaped immense dividends.

The 31-year-old was instrumental to Real Madrid’s ascendancy in the second half, bombarding the Arsenal backline with his forays forward.

Indeed, it was off his excellent cutback that Marco Asensio scored to draw Real Madrid level, while he almost forced an own goal by Kolasinac in the 73rd minute.

If anybody thought Marcelo’s time at the top was up, they would well to have to rethink and the battle for the starting spot at left-back for Real Madrid is set to be more intense than first believed.

#3 Marco Asensio

Given the intense competition for places in the Real Madrid attack, every match in the preseason is as a matter of fact an audition for the multitude of forwards at the club to prove their worth.

Against Arsenal, while those who started might have faltered, Marco Asensio was one of many who came off the bench to turn the game on its head.

The 22-year-old had earlier in his career shown much promise, but he fizzled out, with last season's performance being some way off what is expected from him.

Upon his introduction, the Spanish international immediately got to the task of redeeming Real Madrid and he was unlucky to see a sweetly struck shot deflect off the post just eight minutes after his entrance.

Six minutes later, Asensio was not to be denied as he expertly powered a cutback by Marcelo into the near post by Marcelo to level matters for Real Madrid.

His evening was ended prematurely by injury in the 64th minute and Real Madrid fans would be listening with bated breath on news about the injury.

#4 Vinicius Jr

Having starred with his displays last season, 19-year-old Vinicius Jr has been earmarked to have a huge role to play in the coming years.

Indeed, the former Flamengo man is among the teenagers to watch out for next season and it is safe to say that big things are expected of the explosive youngster.

He owed his introduction against Arsenal to fortuitous circumstances, as it was an injury to Marco Asensio that saw him get onto the field in the 64th minute.

However, upon lacing his boot, Vinicius left nothing else to luck, as he seized the game by the scruff of the neck and attempted to force a winner late in the dying minutes.

Even though Real Madrid failed to win the match in regular time, it was not for a want of trying by Vinicus as he was all over the Arsenal backline for the entirety of his 26-minute cameo in the game.

He was full of running and got the better of Arsenal left-back Kolasinac on a number of occasions, while also fashioning chances for his teammates.

Vinicius had a chance at the very death of the match but saw his shot blocked by a sea of Arsenal defenders. He however had the last laugh, as he converted the game winning penalty for Real Madrid.

Edited by Kingshuk Kusari