Club World Cup
Despite early shock: first real victory for Alonso
06/22/2025 – 11:16 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Against Pachuca from Mexico, the “royal” experience a bitter blow in the initial phase. But an old acquaintance from the Bundesliga is still redeeming.
Real Madrid has succeeded in the club World Cup in the United States despite a long outnumber. The Champions League record winner prevailed 3-1 (2-0) against the Mexican club FC Pachuca on Sunday without the health scorer Kylian Mbappé. After the failed opening game against Al-Hilal Riad from Saudi Arabia (1-1), Xabi Alonso celebrated his premiere victory as a coach of the Spaniards. The German international Antonio Rüdiger gave his comeback eight weeks after a knee surgery.
The second tournament game for the royales could hardly have started worse. Central defender Raul Asencio saw red in the 7th minute after an emergency brake, Real had a man less on the pitch almost over the entire season. Nevertheless, the favorite took the lead, the former Dortmund Jude Bellingham (35th) scored 1-0. Even before the break, the 20-year-old Arda Güler put the 2-0 after (43.), in the second round Fede increased Valverde (70th) before Elias Montiel shortened (80th). Rüdiger came into play in the 78th minute for newcomers Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Due to the three-way, it was real for the time being with four points to the top of the H. RB Salzburg (3) group (3 a.m. CEST) in the game against Al-Hilal (1). Pachuca (0) is the last.
Mbappé was missing Madrid again because he is currently recovering “piece by piece” according to club information. The 26-year-old had since been in the hospital on Thursday because of an “acute gastrointestinal flu”. Real will meet Salzburg in his last group game in Philadelphia on Thursday in Philadelphia.