Real Madrid battled to a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Mexican side Pachuca in the FIFA Club World Cup, despite playing with 10 men for most of the match in Charlotte.
Xabi Alonso’s side were reduced to 10 players just seven minutes in when Raul Asencio was shown a straight red card for bringing down Salomon Rondon, who was clean through on goal.
The Venezuelan striker, formerly of West Brom and Newcastle, caused plenty of problems throughout alongside fellow ex-Premier League player Kenedy.
Despite the early setback and searing 33°C heat, Real Madrid found their composure and made their limited chances count. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring, latching onto a through ball, driving into the box, and calmly finishing past the goalkeeper.
Arda Guler added a second, slotting home after Gonzalo Garcia teed him up following a neat pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Federico Valverde then poked in a third to seemingly wrap up the game, although Elias Montiel pulled one back for Pachuca with a deflected strike that gave them late hope.
Although the scoreline suggested comfort, the match was anything but. Pachuca dominated large spells, registering 25 shots to Madrid’s eight and saw a penalty appeal waved away by VAR. But their lack of cutting edge in the final third ultimately cost them.
Main Talking Point
While Real Madrid came away with all three points, the win masked a nervy performance from a side still adjusting under Alonso. Pachuca exploited the man advantage but were wasteful in front of goal. Madrid’s defence looked vulnerable, especially during the incident that led to Asencio’s dismissal, where they failed to track Rondon’s run.
This was Real Madrid’s first win under Alonso, following a 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal in his debut match. The result edges them closer to the last 16 and a knockout stage berth, with just a win over Red Bull Salzburg on Friday (02:00 BST) standing in their way.
Madrid will also be hoping to welcome back star forward Kylian Mbappe, who missed this match due to gastroenteritis. Meanwhile, the defeat eliminates Pachuca from the tournament.
