Real Madrid touches down in Gelsenkirchen Today to close out preseason against Schalke 04, and buried in the lineup sheet is a subplot that has nothing to do with tactics. Between the posts for Schalke will be Loris Karius, the same goalkeeper whose nightmare performance in the 2018 Champions League final helped hand Real Madrid its third straight European title. Eight years later, life has looped him back into the same shirt he’ll be facing.
What has Real Madrid’s preseason looked like so far?
José Mourinho’s side arrives in Germany unbeaten through five preseason matches, closed door wins over Alcorcón and Leganés followed by a draw against Fiorentina and victories over Ferencváros and Deportivo La Coruña in the Teresa Herrera Trophy. Most of those matches went without Madrid’s biggest names on the field, which is exactly what makes Today different.
Who will actually get minutes against Schalke?
Mourinho now has his full squad back from summer break for the first time, meaning Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and new signing Yan Diomande are in position to log real preseason minutes together. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Dayot Konaté round out a defense that has barely played alongside the attacking group so far, and this friendly is effectively the last dress rehearsal before anything counts.
Why does this particular stadium carry extra weight?
Here’s the detail most previews buried. The Veltins-Arena is marking its 25th anniversary this year, and Real Madrid hasn’t stepped inside it in over a decade, not since eliminating Schalke in back to back Champions League knockout rounds in 2014 and 2015. Karius, now on the other side of that history, will be staring down the same crest that once staged the worst night of his career. Whether Mourinho lets his attackers press that point or eases off entirely may say more about this preseason than any final score.
What is Schalke bringing into this match?
Miron Muslić’s side enters close to full strength, missing only Adrian Gantenbein to a right ankle injury. New signing Satoshi Tanaka could make his unofficial debut in midfield, and Edin Džeko leads the line after a quiet World Cup this summer with Bosnia and Herzegovina, looking to use Sunday as a personal reset before the Bundesliga season resumes.
How can fans watch, and what comes right after?
Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. ET, 8 a.m. PT and 2 p.m. BST, streaming in the United States on DAZN, CBS Sports Golazo, Fox One and Paramount+, with Fox Deportes carrying Spanish language coverage. UK and Canadian viewers can find it on DAZN, while Claro Sports handles the broadcast in Mexico. Once the final whistle blows, Real Madrid has exactly one week to turn preseason form into a plan, opening the 2026 to 27 La Liga season away at Espanyol before returning to a Santiago Bernabéu crowd still owed a better season than last year’s.
Today won’t decide anything that matters in the standings. But for one goalkeeper walking back into a stadium tied to his worst night in football, it might be the only preseason match all summer with actual stakes attached.
