Group Stage Galore: FIFA Club World Cup Progresses
After a tie in the first round of the FIFA Club World Cup, Real Madrid will look to walk away with a win on Sunday versus Pachuca. At 3:00 p.m. EST, the game will kick off at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina on June 22nd versus the Spanish and Mexican sides. Real Madrid has a lot to bounce back from after pulling a draw against Al Hilal when a messy penalty was given away to the Saudi Arabian side. Pachuca is coming off a first-round loss versus Salzburg and needs a win to change the momentum of their tournament.
Xabi Alonso, the new Real Madrid head coach, is looking to put his first win as manager on the board along with new signing Trent-Alexander Arnold. Salzburg leads the group, with Real Madrid trailing by two and Pachuca in last place. Los Blancos need a win to pull ahead of Salzburg, should they lose against Al Hilal. Meanwhile, Pachuca needs a win to promote them above Al Hilal. Real Madrid had been successful in their previous three matches before the tournament, but fell flat in their opener, which is unfortunate, but isn’t a bad sign as they are under new management and looking to find their footing.
Youngster Gonzalo Garcia from Real Madrid scored in the last match and is sure to aim for another in this match to attempt to solidify his spot in the starting lineup despite Real Madrid’s star-studded roster. Pachuca’s top scorer, José Salomon Rondon, is a player to watch in this match, as he has been a game-changer for the team but hasn’t had a good showing in this tournament yet. Bryan Gonzalez, a central defender on the Mexican side, was the player who scored in their last match and tried to keep their hopes of a win up. Kylian Mbappe was recently diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis and will not be on the roster for Real Madrid during this match.
The match is the halfway point through the group stage of the tournament and will determine how crucial the next and last game will be in terms of whether the team will need the win or can ease up on the pressure. Pachuca will look to take a win off Real Madrid after their last loss to them in December. Los Blancos have the most Club World Cup trophies, having won five titles over ten years, and want to keep that momentum going. Whichever team walks away with a win will keep their hat in the ring for a trophy in July.
