Two first-half goals by Ashley Young proved enough to help United beat the European champions 3-1 on Saturday in a friendly. United's win means they advance to Monday's final in Miami, where they will meet traditional English rivals Liverpool.
The appeal of two of the world's most iconic sports teams attracted 109,318 fans to the International Champions Cup match at the University of Michigan's American football stadium in Ann Arbor.
The crowd got an added bonus when Cristiano Ronaldo made a surprise appearance for Madrid in place of Alvaro Arbeloa in the 74th minute, having been ruled out of contention before the match with what was reported to be an injured left knee.
Young had opened the scoring in the 21st minute when he capped off a 20-pass move to beat keeper Iker Casillas at his near post from about 12 metres.
Real equalised in the 27th when Bale was fouled in the box by United defender Michael Keane and then got up to convert the penalty by sending David De Gea the wrong way.
However, it took United only 10 minutes to regain the lead when Young curled in what looked like a cross from the left. United's England forward Wayne Rooney timed his run perfectly but did not appear to make contact with his attempted header.
His presence distracted Casillas, though, with the keeper reacting too late to stop the ball curling inside the far post.
United, playing under new manager Louis van Gaal, padded their lead in the 80th when substitute Javier Hernandez headed home an exquisite pass by Shinji Kagawa from close range.
On the other hand, United's Premier League rivals Manchester City were beaten by Olympiakos 5-4 on penalties in the International Challenge Cup game.
Dimitrios Diamantakos scored twice in regulation and Roberto Jimenez Gago made two saves in the shootout.
Aleksander Kolarov put the Premier League champions 2-1 up in the 53rd minute with a penalty after David Silva was tripped in the Olympiakos box. But Diamantakos tied it in the 65th minute when he picked up a pass at the top of the box, made a move to get past goalkeeper Joe Hart and blasted it into the open net.
City opened the scoring on Stevan Jovetic's goal in the 35th minute. Jovetic took a pass from Samir Nasri, dribbled past one defender, then split two others with a right-footed shot that beat a flat-footed Jimenez Gago. Two minutes later, Diamantakos tied it for Olympiakos.
Meanwhile, French striker Yaya Sanogo sent a message to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with a four-goal blast in a 5-1 victory over Benfica in the pre-season Emirates Cup.
Sanogo is yet to start a Premier League game for Arsenal since joining from Auxerre in July 2013 but grabbed four goals in the opening 50 minutes at the Emirates Stadium.
Costa Rica forward Joel Campbell was also on target, scoring his first goal in the club's colours.
In an another match in the International Champions Cup, Nemanja Vidic and Yuto Nagatomo scored as Inter Milan beat AS Roma 2-0.
Inter broke a scoreless tie just moments before half-time. On a free kick from the left outside of the box, Dodo's left-footed service found Vidic at the center of the penalty box and his deflected header ticked off the fingertips of goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski into the upper right corner.
Roma almost tied them in the 48th minute, but Mattia Destro's header barely missed. Nagatomo provided insurance in the 69th minute as he collected a loose ball in the right side of the box and buried it past Skorupski in the top right corner.
Inter finished their group games in the exhibition International Champions Cup with six points, two behind Manchester United.
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