Both players took part in a gentle four-against-four game but did little else with Real's US$40 million signing, Beckham, spending the last 25 minutes of the session lying on the grass resting. Indeed, after watching the first autograph hunter run on to the pitch without moving a muscle, stadium security had by far the tougher workout dealing with a stream of fans who attempted to interrupt the Englishman's repose.

The relative inactivity of the world-class contingent may have been simply a case of giving the players a chance to recover after their exertions in Japan, but it could also be a pointer that at least some of them are suffering from minor ailments, which could limit their involvement in tonight's match.

The session attracted around 30,000 fans, who unlike the crowds in Beijing and Tokyo had not paid for the privilege, but were invited by the various match sponsors. They witnessed an unremarkable workout that if anything was of a surprisingly low quality considering the calibre of players on show.

That was particularly evident during the 25-minute shooting and crossing drill with which they concluded the session, when coaching staff appeared to pay little attention to the wayward delivery of the players. Surprisingly the players did not warm-down or stretch out, at least not in the public eye, after the session, something that most physical trainers would regard as essential even after what would be described primarily as a recovery session.

WHAT YOU MISSED

10am Scheduled start

10.30 Cheers from fans as footballs are brought to the side of the pitch

10.32 Screams greet the arrival of training staff to lay out poles and cones for the training session.

11.04 Roberto Carlos and Zinedine Zidane lead the way as Real stroll nonchalantly on to the pitch.

11.07 Coach Carlos Queiroz calls players into centre circle to discuss the forthcoming session.

11.08 Players start with a gentle jog. Beckham elicits screams from the East Stand as he finally acknowledges the crowd.

11.10 Pace of warm-up increases slightly as squad run through quarter-paced 20-yard 'strides'.

11.13 More screams from the East Stand as the players lift their legs onto the advertising hoardings to stretch their hamstrings and thigh muscles.

11.15 The rest of the fans finally get to see the stars close-up as they begin the first of four laps around the pitch. Beckham and Roberto Carlos lag near the back.

11.17 Goalkeepers, working separately, begin a far more rigorous series of stretches, step drills and abdominal work.

11.22 More screams, this time from the West Stand as players form a circle to stretch their groins and hamstrings.

11.24 Warm-up finishes.

11.26 Squad splits into two. The stars, including Beckham, Figo and Zidane are in for an easy time as they begin a very gentle game of four against four. Steve McManaman plays a floating role in the game. The rest of the squad stays in the centre circle for a pass-and-move drill, but are still only working at a jog.

11.32 The pass-and-move drill develops as the players now take a thrown pass and return the ball with a volley.

11.33 The four-against-four game stops for stretching. In the centre circle players are returning headers and chest downs. Goalkeepers are working at leaping drills with small hurdles about eight inches high.

11.37 Beckham and co resume their small-sided game. The rest of the squad move into a grid to work on a complex grid and are divided into three teams of four. The drill is aimed at working the ball out of tight situations with each half of the grid a four-against-two game where the players are encouraged to send the ball into the other half after three passes.

11.42 The four-against-four game stops for more stretching. Keepers are working on their reactions, starting with their backs to the shooter they turn to handle balls fired in from close-range and a tight angle.

11.45 Zidane and McManaman start sprint and mobility drills over 10 yards involving a short pass at the end. Beckham joins in a gentle game of head tennis.

11.47 The rest of the squad move in front of the North Stand and start doing sprint work with rope ladders laid out in L-shapes. Figo does a few straight-line strides.

11.50 Goalkeepers are now facing three shooters from the edge of the penalty area.

11.58 The main group begin a passing, shooting and crossing drill using half of the pitch. The keepers finish their work to join in.

12.00 Beckham is done for the day. Using a ball as a pillow he lies on the pitch drinking water.

12.14 Crossing and shooting drill switches so the crosses are coming from the right wing.

12.22 The drill grinds to a halt. Beckham finally gets up, boots a ball into the crowd and saunters down the tunnel.

12.25 The session finishes with no warm-down or stretching.