Real Madrid celebrated a 3:0 victory over Schalke at the Veltins Arena's 25th anniversary, but beyond the scoreline, attention was drawn to an incident involving the French star and a reunion of former Manchester City teammates.
The friendly match between Schalke and Real Madrid at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, played in honor of the stadium's 25th anniversary, ended in a 3:0 win for the visitors. However, the football world was more abuzz with two things unrelated to the final score.
The most attention was drawn by a duel between Nikola Katić and Kylian Mbappe late in the first half. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international read the French forward's intentions and dispossessed him, which Mbappe clearly did not take well. The Frenchman had attempted to nutmeg Katić, but the former Hajduk player stopped him and immediately passed the ball to a teammate, sparking a Schalke attack.
Footage circulating on social media shows Mbappe approaching Katić from behind and striking him after losing the ball. The video was posted on Twitter by user Miodrag, and the incident did not escalate further. Shortly after, the Frenchman also clashed with the referee and received a yellow card for ignoring the official's warnings. According to sources, Katić remained completely calm and did not retaliate to Mbappe's dirty move, which many commented on as surprising given his reputation as a tough player.
Katić left the pitch after the first 45 minutes, while Edin Džeko came on late in the game and spent the final ten minutes on the field.
After the final whistle, the atmosphere was much more relaxed. On the pitch, former Manchester City teammates Edin Džeko and Bernardo Silva met, embraced, and had a brief chat.
"Finally, a good life after Manchester," Džeko said to Silva.
The Diamond, of course, was alluding to the weather conditions, as those in Madrid are incomparably more pleasant than in Manchester.
Schalke coach Miron Muslić had prepared a special gift for Jose Mourinho. He presented the Portuguese expert with a shirt bearing the inscription "Special One," the nickname that has followed him through most of his managerial career.
After the match, Mourinho also took time to speak with Edin Džeko. The two know each other well from their time together at Fenerbahçe, so the meeting in Gelsenkirchen was an opportunity for another get-together.
Scorers for Real Madrid in last night's victory were Kylian Mbappe, Dean Huijsen, and Carlos Espi.
Mbappe's move sparked strong reactions in the stands. When he hit Katić, Schalke fans angrily rose from their seats and loudly shouted at the French forward, with one of them capturing the moment on video. The footage shows Katić not retaliating but simply walking away from the scene without any reaction. One Schalke fan posted a notable status alongside the video: "I'm shocked Katić didn't devour Mbappe. Nikola usually throws opponents through the stadium roof in these situations."
Incidentally, this was Real's fourth win in five preseason matches. They beat Leganés (4:1), Ferencváros (2:1), Deportivo La Coruña (1:0), and now Schalke, with their only draw coming against Fiorentina (2:2). Jose Mourinho has reason to be pleased before he attempts to bring the Royals back down to earth and tame the big egos, as is evident (not only) from the above...
