MADRID — They danced the flamenco, ate paella and saw Cristiano Ronaldo in the flesh.

And they sampled football the Real Madrid way, undergoing drills and tactical training at the Real Madrid Sports City, a state-of-the-art facility for the record nine-time European champions.

The final squad for this season’s First XI, MediaCorp’s football-based reality TV show, know they must use what they learnt from the Spanish giants to hold their own against the Football All Stars in the Grand Final on Oct 23 at the Jalan Besar Stadium.

The match, to be shown live on Channel 5, is a once-in-a-timetime opportunity for the 16 of them, although expect a change to that number in tonight’s two-episode special — branded “First Half” (Episode 8) and “Second Half” (Episode 9) — which covers the players’ visit to Madrid.

However, Steve McMahon, one of the First XI coaches with former Singapore international R Sasikumar, has his own concerns.

“Offensively, we’re very good, but we’re so weak at the back and look like we could concede goals anytime,” said the former England and Liverpool star.

“We’re a long way away, and if we don’t get our act together, we could be in for a big shock (on Oct 23).”

An incident during a training session in Madrid would force the team to address simmering issues, but defender Ramadan Sha, 22, formerly in the petrochemical industry, said: “Whatever happens on the pitch stays on the pitch and we should be professional about it. It has brought us closer together.”

Next week’s game against the Football All Stars will include former English Premier League stars Robbie Fowler, Dietmar Hamann and Des Walker, and is the finale to the show’s second season, with more than 900 hopefuls from all walks of life signing up for the trials in May.

The five-day trip to Madrid also saw the players watch Real in action at the Santiago Bernabeu, and how the club interpreted football left a deep impression.

“The coaches taught us different variations of passing and opening up defences. The biggest difference is the way they work as a team, and how they pass the football,” said midfielder Christopher van Huizen, a 21-year-old National Serviceman.

Forward Marcus Sia, a 17-year-old student, added: “The way they play, even in training, is very intense. It was difficult to keep up.”

Despite his reservations about the players’ ability to play as a unit, McMahon is hoping they will put up a credible performance next week as a fitting finale to the show’s second season.

He said: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating ... I’m a professional, and I want to put up a good performance and win the game and that’s the end goal for Sasikumar and myself.”

Catch Episodes 8 and 9 of First XI on MediaCorp Channel 5 at 8pm and 10pm respectively tonight.

Tickets to the Grand Final on Oct 23 are available on a first-come-first-serve basis at MediaCorp Reception on Oct 18 and 19 (10am to 5pm) and Gain City Ang Mo Kio from Oct 11. Visit www.xinmsn.com/FirstXI for more details.

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