A resilient ten-man Real Madrid took a significant step towards the FIFA Club World Cup knockout stages with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Mexican side Pachuca in Charlotte on Sunday.
Xabi Alonso’s side played for over 80 minutes with a numerical disadvantage after defender Raul Asencio was shown a straight red card in the seventh minute for fouling Salomon Rondon as the veteran striker was through on goal.
Despite the early setback and facing 25 shots from their opponents, Real Madrid secured their first win of the tournament. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring, running onto a pass before finishing calmly. Turkish prodigy Arda Guler doubled the lead, converting after Gonzalo Garcia laid off a pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold. Federico Valverde stabbed home a third before Elias Montiel scored a late deflected consolation goal for Pachuca.
The scoreline, however, did not fully reflect the nature of the contest. Pachuca, a team featuring former Premier League players Rondon and Kenedy, created numerous opportunities but were repeatedly denied by an outstanding performance from Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who made ten saves, including a crucial double stop.
The victory gives Real Madrid four points in Group H and was achieved in hot conditions, with temperatures around 33°C (91°F) in front of a crowd of 70,248. The Spanish giants were again without star forward Kylian Mbappé, who is recovering from a recent bout of gastroenteritis.
This was the first win for new manager Xabi Alonso, following Real Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Al-Hilal in their opening game. Real Madrid, who remain unbeaten in regulation time in Club World Cup history, can secure their place in the last 16 with a victory over Red Bull Salzburg in their final group game on Friday. Pachuca have been eliminated from the competition.
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