Fans joked that Reece James was sent for an early “return to England” during Chelsea’s pre-season game against Real Madrid in the USA.
The Blues faced the reigning Champions League winners in the final friendly of their American tour early Wednesday morning.
- Premier League supercomputer predicts title winners & top-four order for new season
- Carlo Ancelotti picks Real Madrid’s penalty taker ahead of new season
Chelsea lost 2-1 to Los Blancos, with goals from Lucas Vasquez and Brahim Diaz handing Enzo Maresca’s team the defeat.
James, who captained the side in the North Carolina match, had the challenging task of marking Vinícius Jr for much of the game.
He was left stunned by a brilliant piece of skill from the Brazilian, who nutmegged him while moving into the box.
Vinicius X Reece James.. That’s crazy ???? pic.twitter.com/J9K4FotDrT
— Jose Bolu (@i_amboluwatife) August 8, 2024
The footage of Vinícius Jr’s smooth move quickly went viral and sparked a flood of comments on social media.
One person posted on X: “I love that nutmeg.”
Another commented: “Sent him to buy pancakes.”
A third wrote: “He is really good.”
One more said: “This is amazing.”
And another added: “Vini sent Chelsea Captain Reece James back to England.”
Chelsea have conceded a total of ten goals in their four pre-season games against Celtic, Club America, Manchester City, and Real.
Manager Maresca remarked: “Any team aims to win games and compete.
“They need to work on their defensive strategy.
“It’s tough when you concede early, always playing from behind.
“Today, for the first five minutes, we had two clear chances.
“When you fall behind 1-0 or 2-0, it becomes challenging.
“But overall, regarding our progress, we are improving and I’m quite pleased.”
