Real Madrid secured a 3-1 victory over Pachuca in the FIFA Club World Cup, despite being reduced to 10 men early in the match. Defender Raul Asencio was sent off in the seventh minute for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, but the team rallied to win convincingly.
Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler scored late in the first half to give Real Madrid a 2-0 lead. Bellingham’s goal came in the 35th minute, when he collected a square ball and slid his low finish past Carlos Moreno from 15 yards out. Guler added the second goal eight minutes later, finishing a flowing Madrid move with a precise shot into the far corner.
In the second half, Federico Valverde extended Real Madrid’s lead with a well-taken goal in the 70th minute. Valverde’s sliding volley sealed Xabi Alonso’s first victory as Madrid manager. Pachuca managed to score a consolation goal in the 80th minute, when Elias Montiel’s shot deflected off Aurelien Tchouameni into the net.
Bellingham praised the team’s spirit, saying, “We stayed together well [after the red card]. Obviously, Raul [Asencio] made a mistake. He is young and it will happen. It was impressive to see how the team came together and won the game.” Alonso echoed this sentiment, singling out goalkeeper Thibault Courtois for praise. “We are so happy to have [Courtois] in goal,” he said. “He was so reliable, especially when we had one player less. We defended with a lot of sacrifice and waited for our chances.”
The win puts Real Madrid’s FIFA Club World Cup campaign back on track, following a dramatic 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in Wednesday’s opener. Real Madrid can clinch a place in the last 16 with a win or draw against RB Salzburg on Thursday in Philadelphia.