Real Madrid continued their ongoing pre-season preparations with a challenging away trip to Hungary to face Ferencvaros. Manager Jose Mourinho utilized the fixture to heavily experiment with his squad, blending rising young prospects with established stars. Although the Spanish giants controlled large stretches of the contest, a spirited late resurgence from the hosts ensured a tense finish before the visitors ultimately held on for a 2-1 victory.
Early Dominance and Breakthrough Before the Break
From the opening whistle, Real Madrid asserted themselves by pushing high up the pitch. Creative playmaker Arda Guler nearly broke the deadlock in the early stages with a trademark curling effort from outside the box that sailed just wide of the post. Moments later, young Brazilian forward Endrick squandered a golden opportunity inside the penalty area by firing his shot over the crossbar.
Despite being forced onto the back foot, Ferencvaros offered occasional threats. Daniel Arzani carved out two early attempts, though neither seriously troubled the Real Madrid backline.
The visitors intensified their offensive pressure as the half progressed. Brahim Diaz, Alexis Ceria, and Endrick all searched relentlessly for the opening goal, with the Ferencvaros goalkeeper forced into a sharp save to deny Endrick. Real Madrid’s persistence finally yielded a reward shortly before halftime. Following a corner kick, Alexis Ceria intelligently recycled the ball back into the danger zone, where Mario Rivas rose highest to power home a close-range header, sending the Spanish side into the break with a 1-0 advantage.
Second-Half Substitutions and a Tense Finish
Heading into the second half, Mourinho opted for a flurry of changes, introducing heavyweight names and fresh legs including Vinicius Junior, Bernardo Silva, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, and Carlos Espi.
The tactical adjustments paid immediate dividends. Shortly after the restart, Federico Valverde unlocked the defense with a precise pass into the path of Carlos Espi. The forward drove into the box and slotted a composed, low shot into the right corner to double Real Madrid's lead to 2-0.
Rather than folding, Ferencvaros responded with immense resilience. The hosts mounted a determined comeback, and their pressure soon told when Kristoffer Zachariassen slipped a clever pass to Kenan Kodro inside the area. Kodro finished decisively to halve the deficit, igniting the atmosphere and ramping up the tension.
Ferencvaros sensed an equalizer was within reach and pressed aggressively. Zachariassen came agonizingly close in the minutes following, meeting a cross from Marius Corbu with a dangerous header that required a stunning reflex save from goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to preserve Real Madrid's slender lead.
At the other end, Bernardo Silva and Arda Güler both squandered late opportunities to put the game to bed, with Güler coming closest via a curling free-kick that drifted narrowly wide of the top corner. Despite a frantic flurry of late pressure from the hosts, Real Madrid successfully weathered the storm to secure a hard-fought 2-1 win in Hungary, wrapping up a valuable test ahead of the new campaign.