Luka Modric, what a player.

The Croatian midfielder kills a ball that drops from the clouds and in one motion carries the ball forward to the United area.

Nemanja Matic cannot keep up, he is running in treacle.

The ball falls to Karim Benzema, who steadies himself and strikes a low shot towards the bottom corner which David de Gea has to dive down to push away.

The Real Madrid defence is holding firm against any United attack.

If Raphael Varane is not getting his head onto a cross, then it is Sergio Ramos sticking his leg out to intercept a pass.

United's Jesse Lingard is the first man into the referee's book for a late foul from behind on Isco.

Image source, Getty Images

As things stand, four Championship sides are heading out of the EFL Cup at the hands of lower-league opposition.

Preston are losing at Accrington, while Brentford are trailing in a London derby at AFC Wimbledon.

Neil Warnock's Cardiff are also behind, trailing 1-0 at home to League One Portsmouth, while Chesterfield are winning at Sheffield Wednesday.

There are no such worries for Bristol City though, who are already 4-0 up at home to Plymouth. Game over, at Ashton Gate.

There are those moments in life that led to a perfectly-timed photo and this is one of them.

Are Romelu Lukaku and Sergio Ramos playing football or demonstrating an innovative form of interpretative dance?

Image source, Reuters

Ryan: Hopefully this drinks break has woken United up as they need to up their game

Mazin Nasralla: Man Utd being utterly outclassed. Embarrassing really #bbcfootball

Manchester United seeing the Real Madrid penalty area for the first time in a long while.

It is Paul Pogba who has the ball on the left edge of the box, but his low strike is poor and ricochets across goal and to safety.

Fellow midfielder Ander Herrera then has a pop from outside the box, but it causes no problems for Keylor Navas.

Image source, Getty Images

A reminder that these two sides met just 16 days ago in Santa Clara, USA.

The match ended 1-1, but United won the game on penalties.

Casemiro scored in the match, after Jesse Lingard's opener.

If it is level at 90 minutes, this game will go to extra-time and then penalties if required.

Image source, Getty Images

Looks like the drinks break has done United some good.

They earn a free-kick on the left, around 35 yards out...

...but it is wasted by Ander Herrera.

The Spaniard attempts to pick out Nemanja Matic at the back post, but the ball is too long and sails out of play.

It was scheduled to be three minutes, but the players are back on after two.

Action is back under way.

Image source, AFP

Ice towels being wrapped around the necks of both sets of players and they are gulping down litres of H2O.

Jose Mourinho is very animated while talking to his players, Zinedine Zidane more subdued.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Half an hour gone and the players come off the pitch to take on fluids.

Time for a team talk too. Jose Mourinho has three minutes to get his message across.

Image source, AFP

It looks like Jose Mourinho is keeping a close eye on transfer target Gareth Bale.

The Welshman puts the ball into the net from Karim Benzema's pass, but is flagged offside.

He looked on to me.

Image source, PA

The match at Blundell Park between Grimsby and Derby has indeed been abandoned because of a waterlogged pitch.

Don't you just love August in England, eh?

Jason Moore: This is awful from United. Offering nothing and way too negative. Looked more exciting in pre-season.

Jerry Elumeze: Real deserve their lead, but a VAR would have overruled that goal because it was offside. Can you deserve an illegal lead?

Colin Reardon: How is that not offside? Once again, 10 seconds of TV replay would resolve!

How have Manchester United responded?

Not well, to be honest. It is all Real Madrid, picking the ball up in their black shirts and knocking it around like a training match.

United chasing shadows at the moment, Jose Mourinho on the touchline looks concerned...very concerned.

In the EFL Cup, Accrington Stanley are in front against Championship side Preston thanks to Ben Richards-Everton's opener. Could an upset be on the cards?

Meanwhile, although Derby are leading at Grimsby, their match may be set to be abandoned amid some awful weather.

The referee has brought a half to proceedings and the players are off. It's unclear if they'll return or not.

That could easily have gone in.

Nemanja Matic, who looks like he has just stepped out of a swimming pool, sticks his leg out to stop Luka Modric's cross and, luckily for United, it arrows straight into the hands of David de Gea at the front post.

'The Drifter' Isco is picking the ball up all over the final third.

He is finding pockets of spaces and causing the United back line allsorts of problems.

This time he exchanges passes with Karim Benzema on the edge of the box, but his curled effort lacks direction and ends up behind David de Gea's goal.

United manager Jose Mourinho going for the casual tracksuit look in the scorching weather.

Counterpart Zinedine Zidane dressed much more smartly in a navy blue suit. A bit of heat doesn't fluster Zizou.

Image source, Getty Images