Real Madrid secured the first win of the Xabi Alonso era to put one foot into the knock-out stage of the FIFA Club World Cup as they beat Mexican side Pachuca 3-1 in Charlotte on Sunday afternoon. Raúl Asencio was sent off after only seven minutes, but Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler and Fede Valverde saw Los Blancos secure a comfortable victory for the Spanish side despite Elias Montiel’s late strike deflecting off Aurélien Tchouameni for a consolation goal.
Three answers
1. How similar would this be to the meeting between the two teams seven months ago?
Real Madrid and Pachuca don’t come face to face all that often, logically given the distance from Spain to Mexico, but they did meet in the Club World Cup in its previous format as recently as December 2024. It wasn’t plain sailing for Real Madrid, recording only one more shot on target and the same total number of shots as their opponents, but their clinical finishing and high-quality chances allowed them to wrap up a 3-0 win, with Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo Goes and Vinícius Júnior all on the scoresheet. This wasn’t dissimilar. Pachuca registered more shots and more shots on target, even dominating possession for long periods of the first half, but couldn’t compete in front of goal, with three superb moves giving Real Madrid golden chances to score.
2. What changes would Xabi Alonso make from the draw with Al Hilal?
Xabi Alonso made only limited changes to the team he put out here, with Rodrygo Goes making way for Arda Güler in the only personnel switch. The more interesting switches came from how Alonso moved his players around in-game, switching positions and becoming more versatile in the final third, both with Gonzalo García and later Brahim Díaz. Also intriguing was Alonso’s use of his bench to manage an incredibly demanding game in intense heat with 10 men for 83 minutes. This time there were minutes off the bench for Dani Ceballos and Luka Modrić, but, perhaps tellingly, none for Rodrygo Goes…
3. Where would Arda Güler feature, if at all?
Speaking to Managing Madrid before the game, Arda Güler was asked about his preferred position and stated that “I can adapt to any position, if the team needs me on the wing I can play there, but for me it’s better if I play in midfield because from there I can touch the ball more”. When Kiyan Sobhani of Managing Madrid extended a question to Xabi Alonso about those comments, the coach agreed, saying, “I agree with Arda that he needs to be close to the ball, he’s one player that is special because the more touches he has, normally the better he plays himself and better the team plays”. Güler played alongside Jude Bellingham in a midfield two, with Fede Valverde taking up the role further wide on the right, though Xabi Alonso tweaked that in the drinks break in the first half to move Güler further forwards. He impressed, taking a well-finished goal to make it 2-0 with a dangerous run from deep, adding in a 92% pass completion rate and defensive contributions. It was a promising display.
Three questions
1. Should we be concerned about Raúl Asencio?
Taken off at half-time after conceding what Thibaut Courtois labelled a “stupid” penalty against Al Hilal, Raúl Asencio was out to prove a point after overcoming illness. However, it lasted just seven minutes. Caught the wrong side of his man Salomon Rondón, he pulled the Venezuelan veteran back on the edge of the box and left referee Ramon Abatti with little choice but to send him off. With Antonio Rüdiger back in action off the bench, Éder Militão close to a return, David Alaba expected back in the coming months, Joan Martinez included with the first team as he returns, and Aurélien Tchouameni filling in for the second game running, Asencio could easily be seventh choice by the time La Liga starts in August. These rooky mistakes may be the low point of his first-team career to date, but they couldn’t have come at a worse time.
2. Will Gonzalo García have a first-team role?
Heading into this tournament, the expectation was that it could be Gonzalo García’s last hurrah as a Real Madrid player with the likes of Celta Vigo and Getafe reported to be interested. It was a surprise when Xabi Alonso picked him to start in his first game in charge, breaking from Carlo Ancelotti’s methods which might have opted for a change in shape with Kylian Mbappé absent. What he has made clear in these two games is that he offers something very different to what Real Madrid possess in their squad. While he’s not the Joselu target man style that was missing last season, he offers a more mobile and versatile option who can also move wide. The 21 year old is unlikely to displace any of those ahead of him in the pecking order or to develop into a world beater, but he’s a strong squad option who can add value to Xabi Alonso’s squad.
3. What’s needed for Real Madrid to progress?
A lot depends on the result of Al Hilal vs RB Salzburg on Sunday night, as a win for the Austrians would put them in first place ahead of their clash with Real Madrid in the final game. That could work to Real Madrid’s benefit as it would almost guarantee a place in the knock-outs, unless Al Hilal could then turn around a goal difference deficit and hope that Real Madrid lose to Salzburg. Regardless of what happens later on Sunday in Washington DC, a win for Real Madrid against RB Salzburg would see them qualify, only with first or second place depending upon goal difference. The only way in which Real Madrid can be eliminated in the group stage is if Al Hilal and RB Salzburg draw on Sunday, with Salzburg then at least drawing against Real Madrid, in which case Al Hilal would need to surpass Real Madrid’s goal difference, or beating Los Blancos, with Al Hilal winning against Pachuca.
