Real Madrid beats Pachuca 3-1 in Club World Cup while playing most of the match with 10 men
CHARLOTTE, N.C.: Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler scored first-half goals and short-handed Real Madrid bounced back from a disappointing performance in its Club World Cup opener to beat Pachuca 3-1 on Sunday in front of 70,248 spectators at Bank of America Stadium.
Seven minutes in, defender Raul Asencio received a red card, forcing Real Madrid to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.
It hardly mattered as Madrid dominated the Mexican club rest of the way to give Xabi Alonso his first win as coach of the Spanish power.
Bellingham got Madrid on the board in the 35th minute when he took a pass from Fran Garcia just inside the box and belted a perfectly placed left-footed shot past goalkeeper Carlos Moreno into the right corner.
Eight minutes later, Güler made it 2-0 when he delivered a right-footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner off an assist from Gonzalo García. Federico Valverde put the final touches on the win in the second half with a sliding right-footed shot off an assist from Brahim Díaz.
Goalkeeper Thabaut Courtois was on form with five saves in the first half. He turned away two point-blank shots in the early going and finished with 10 saves.
Elías Montiel ended Courtois' bid for a shutout when he scored in the 80th minute for Pachuca, which fell to 0-2 in group play.
Kylian Mbappé has missed both Club World Cup starts after being hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis. He did not travel to Charlotte, but the team remains hopeful that he'll be ready to play on Thursday night against Salzburg.
Key moment
There were some uneasy minutes early in the match for Madrid when Asencio pulled down Pacheco's Agustin Palavecino as he was entering the box following a breakaway, forcing Aurelein Tchouameni to move to center back. But Madrid stayed on the attack and Bellingham had the breakthrough goal.
Takeaways
Madrid looked very much out of sync on Wednesday, playing Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal to a 1-1 draw in Alonso's first game when Federico Valverde's stoppage-time penalty was saved. That changed on Sunday as the talented roster began to mesh, with precise passing leading to both first-half goals.
Noteworthy
The game was played on a temporary grass field. The stadium is home to the NFL's Carolina Panthers, who play on an artificial surface. ... With temperatures in the low 90s Fahrenheit (low 30s Celsius), players were given a water breaks midway through each half.
What they said
'We stayed together really well. It's impressive how the team comes together to win the game. I'm really happy with the team today.' — Bellingham.
'I'm here to win. That is my way. I want to make a statement. We played well on some occasions but I can't settle for just that.' — Pachuca coach Jaime Lozano.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saudi Gazette
2 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Al Hilal held to goalless draw by Salzburg in Club World Cup group clash
Saudi Gazette report WASHINGTON — Al Hilal kept their Round of 16 hopes alive in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Austrian champions Salzburg on Sunday at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. The result leaves the Saudi side third in Group H with two points, following an opening 1-1 draw against Real Madrid. Salzburg and Real Madrid top the group with four points each after Los Blancos defeated Mexico's Pachuca 3-1. Al Hilal must now beat Pachuca in their final group game on Friday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. A win, coupled with a victory for either Real Madrid or Salzburg in their meeting, would send Al Hilal through to the knockout stage. A draw between Madrid and Salzburg would still allow Hilal to qualify—provided they win by at least a two-goal margin. Newly appointed head coach Simone Inzaghi described the clash against Salzburg as 'decisive,' but admitted after the game that his team lacked the edge needed to claim all three points. The Austrian side saw their four-match winning streak come to an end but remained unbeaten in the group. Al Hilal started brightly, with Joao Cancelo firing just wide in the third minute and Salem Al Dawsari testing Salzburg goalkeeper Christian Tzavischitzky moments later. Moroccan shot-stopper Yassine Bounou was called into action at the other end, tipping a powerful effort from Karim Onisiwo over the bar. Marcos Leonardo came closest to opening the scoring for Al Hilal in the 22nd minute, but his effort was blocked heroically by Danish defender Jacob Rasmussen. The second half saw a major scare for Al Hilal as Salzburg substitute John Mellberg forced a brilliant save from Bounou before Dorgeles Nene's rebound was cleared off the line by Kalidou Koulibaly in the 48th minute. Al Hilal responded with long-range attempts from Ruben Neves and Cancelo, both denied by the alert Salzburg keeper. Malcolm missed a golden opportunity in the 57th minute after a slick exchange with Al Dawsari, but his shot deflected off a defender for a corner. Sergej Milinković-Savić tried his luck with a late strike from distance, only for Tzavischitzky to collect cleanly, while substitute Yorbe Vertessen nearly stole the win for Salzburg with a curling shot that grazed the post. With fan support strong in the stands, Al Hilal head into their final group match knowing only victory will keep their tournament dreams alive.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
RB Salzburg, Al-Hilal tussle to 0-0 draw at Club World Cup
RB Salzburg and Al-Hilal played to a scoreless draw in a Group H match of the Club World Cup on Sunday in Washington. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Real Madrid beats Pachuca 3-1 in Club World Cup while playing most of the match with 10 men
CHARLOTTE, N.C.: Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler scored first-half goals and short-handed Real Madrid bounced back from a disappointing performance in its Club World Cup opener to beat Pachuca 3-1 on Sunday in front of 70,248 spectators at Bank of America Stadium. Seven minutes in, defender Raul Asencio received a red card, forcing Real Madrid to play the remainder of the match with 10 men. It hardly mattered as Madrid dominated the Mexican club rest of the way to give Xabi Alonso his first win as coach of the Spanish power. Bellingham got Madrid on the board in the 35th minute when he took a pass from Fran Garcia just inside the box and belted a perfectly placed left-footed shot past goalkeeper Carlos Moreno into the right corner. Eight minutes later, Güler made it 2-0 when he delivered a right-footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom left corner off an assist from Gonzalo García. Federico Valverde put the final touches on the win in the second half with a sliding right-footed shot off an assist from Brahim Díaz. Goalkeeper Thabaut Courtois was on form with five saves in the first half. He turned away two point-blank shots in the early going and finished with 10 saves. Elías Montiel ended Courtois' bid for a shutout when he scored in the 80th minute for Pachuca, which fell to 0-2 in group play. Kylian Mbappé has missed both Club World Cup starts after being hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis. He did not travel to Charlotte, but the team remains hopeful that he'll be ready to play on Thursday night against Salzburg. Key moment There were some uneasy minutes early in the match for Madrid when Asencio pulled down Pacheco's Agustin Palavecino as he was entering the box following a breakaway, forcing Aurelein Tchouameni to move to center back. But Madrid stayed on the attack and Bellingham had the breakthrough goal. Takeaways Madrid looked very much out of sync on Wednesday, playing Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal to a 1-1 draw in Alonso's first game when Federico Valverde's stoppage-time penalty was saved. That changed on Sunday as the talented roster began to mesh, with precise passing leading to both first-half goals. Noteworthy The game was played on a temporary grass field. The stadium is home to the NFL's Carolina Panthers, who play on an artificial surface. ... With temperatures in the low 90s Fahrenheit (low 30s Celsius), players were given a water breaks midway through each half. What they said 'We stayed together really well. It's impressive how the team comes together to win the game. I'm really happy with the team today.' — Bellingham. 'I'm here to win. That is my way. I want to make a statement. We played well on some occasions but I can't settle for just that.' — Pachuca coach Jaime Lozano.
