Ferencváros vs Real Madrid: Madrid lead 2-0 in Budapest
Turned into a one-sided preseason test in Budapest, with Real Madrid taking control through goals from Mario Rivas and Carlos Espí. The Spanish side dominated…
BUDAPEST — Ferencváros vs Real Madrid was already leaning Madrid’s way in Budapest, with the Spanish side moving ahead on goals from Mario Rivas and Carlos Espí in the preseason friendly. The match was being tracked live by ESPN and BBC Sport as both teams used the outing to test lineups and give minutes to a long list of players.
The early numbers told the same story. Real Madrid held 66% possession, had more shots, and kept Ferencváros pinned back for long stretches. Quiet, but clear.
Ferencváros vs Real Madrid: Madrid’s control shows in the numbers
ESPN’s match timeline showed Rivas scoring in the 41st minute and Espí adding another in the 49th. Ferencváros had offered some danger early, with Dániel Arzani and Alex Cirkovic both getting shots away, but Madrid settled the game down once it found the first breakthrough.
Madrid’s lineup featured Vinícius Júnior, Arda Güler, Federico Valverde, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger and goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. Ferencváros started with Barnabás Varga, Bence Yusuf, Cristian Ramírez? Wait, no. The verified sources list Barnabás Yusuf, Corbu, Levi, Nagy, O’Dowda, Zachariassen, Zohoré, Raemaekers, Varga and Dibusz, with several changes at halftime. BBC Sport showed both teams making a full batch of early substitutions at 46 minutes as the coaches shuffled personnel.
Real Madrid’s own changes came in waves too. ESPN listed Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos-style? No, the verified source names Eduardo Camavinga, another substitute line that included A. Ciria, D. Dumfries, Brahim Díaz, J. Martínez and Mario Rivas. The point was obvious: this was a test, not a final. Both benches treated it that way.
Why it matters for the preseason picture
For Real Madrid, the friendly offered a clean snapshot of depth and rhythm. Madrid had the ball, created more, and turned control into goals before and after halftime. That matters because preseason games are less about the headline score and more about how quickly the squad settles into shape. This one suggested Madrid were already comfortable dictating tempo.
Ferencváros, for its part, got a useful look at how its shape held up against a European heavyweight. The Hungarian side stayed in the game through the opening half-hour and still managed to force Madrid into defensive work, with Nicolás Zohoré standing out in the defensive interventions column on ESPN’s live stats. But once Madrid’s passing range and movement clicked, the gap opened.
BBC Sport’s live feed showed Ferencváros and Madrid both continuing to rotate after the interval, with Á. Varga, C. O’Dowda, T. Raemaekers, K. Zachariassen, O. Nagy, B. Yusuf, M. Corbu and J. Levi all making way for fresh legs. Real Madrid mirrored that approach as the game moved deeper into its preseason rhythm.
The sharpest detail was the balance of the statistics: Ferencváros had 34% possession, while Madrid controlled 66%. Madrid also led in shots on goal, 3 to 0, and in passing accuracy, 92% to 84%.
Those figures tell the whole evening. Real Madrid did not just edge the friendly. It owned it.
