Infront of 109,318 spectators, the match between Manchester United and Real Madrid reflected the revolution of pre-season friendlies.
No longer are these matches completely meaningless and only to build up fitness. They're competitive; they're entry exams for the players.
If they pass, they become part of the squad for the upcoming season, if not, they're expelled and sold.
This is certainly the feeling at the United camp, with the likes of Wilfred Zaha, Ashley Young and Shinji Kagawa all trying to prove their worth to the side.
Manchester United's match against Real Madrid was always going to be the most honest reflection of how far United have come under Van Gaal in the short time they've been together.
United didn't disappoint.
The Red Devils' first goal was the evidence that the David Moyes project couldn't be continued.
The quick, intelligent passing between Fletcher and Rooney, followed by the composure of Welbeck to lay-off Ashley Young to cooly finish was extraordinary to watch.
One of Sir Alex Ferguson's most effective skills was to get the most out of his players, even if they lacked certain abilities and Van Gaal seems to have learned the skill as well.
With Phil Jones looking as the commanding, powerful defender we thought he'd turn into a few seasons ago, he will be crucial in the upcoming season, especially in Van Gaal doesn't dip into the transfer market once again.
Although United were forced to defend for large parts of the second half, they were extremely solid in defence.
Never did Madrid truly look like they could trouble United's defence, except when Bale was 1 on 1 with Michael Keane.
Question marks still appear over players such as Zaha, who failed to take his chance to impress Van Gaal.
The young winger lost the ball carelessly, and couldn't standout in the match, getting bullied by the likes of Pepe and Ramos.
Although it must be considered that United had a week's fitness over Madrid, it was still impressive.
Remember, Madrid are the European champions, and although it's foolish to say United are on par with Madrid, United have clearly made strides of improvement under Van Gaal, and that is evident in being unbeaten in 4 pre-season friendlies, scoring 13 goals.
A further win against Liverpool on Monday night would finish off an incredible transformation under Van Gaal before they return to Old Trafford for the first time to face Valencia.
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