In the real world, if you were playing Real Madrid at one of the world's sporting meccas before just shy of 100,000 fans, you would hope to send out a similarly formidable eleven.

But in the bizarre world of pre-season football, you do nothing of the sort. In Friday night's International Champions Cup tie at the MCG, Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini was faced with a Real forward line comprising Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

With Martin Demichelis still resting after the Copa America and Vincent Kompany given leave to return to Manchester for the birth of his child, the City boss fielded a central defensive pairing barely out of their nappies.

Jason Denayer is 20 and has never played a senior competitive match for City. But he was a wily veteran compared to his defensive partner Cameron Humphreys, a 16-year-old plucked from the team's youth academy.

Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez's more conventional approach - starting the match with a full-strength team - perhaps reflected the fact that unlike Pellegrini, who has had two years to get to know his squad, Benitez was catapulted into the Madrid hot seat only last month.

As it is, the Real boss, like the 99,382 spectators, was treated to a fearsome first-half performance from his seasoned campaigners, the crowd gasping with pleasure every time Ronaldo indulged in his trademark flicks, winks and multiple step-overs.

The crowd's response to City's recent purchase from Liverpool, Raheem Sterling, was not so jolly. As in Tuesday night's game against A.S. Roma, Sterling dazzled with explosive pace and clever ball control, and could have earned a penalty when Portuguese defender Pepe connected with him in the box. It made no difference - bitter Liverpool fans who had infiltrated the outer jeered his every touch.

While City's central defenders were pinned back, both Real's centre backs helped out in attack: Sergio Ramos may be uncertain about his future at the club but there was no lack of commitment in a surging run into the City penalty area to meet a cheeky back-heel from Ronaldo.

Similarly, when the goals started to flow for Real, it was centre-back Pepe who put his team 3-0 up in the 44th minute, powerfully heading home a corner from Isco.

No masterclass is complete though without at least one example of what not to do. Ramos opened the door for a City revival by blatantly handling the ball on the edge of the penalty area in a desperate attempt to make sure it didn't fall kindly for Sterling. Referee Hiroyuki Kimura, unmoved by City's previous penalty pleas, finally pointed to the spot and Yaya Toure converted with conviction.

In the end though there was no revival and Real won 4-1, claiming the first International Champions Cup (Australia) title. By then the bizarro world strategies had well and truly taken over as both coaches withdrew their most famous names to the safety of the dugout so their fringe players could get some game time on that famous oval.