Club World Cup Player Ratings and Match Highlights

Real Madrid defeated Pachuca 3-1 in an entertaining FIFA Club World Cup encounter on Sunday evening.

The Mexican side started the match very well with a lot of intensity, and they imposed their physicality and pressure on the Spanish giants straight from the off. From minute one, Salomon Rondon was a handful for the Real Madrid defence to deal with, particularly Raul Asencio. The Venezuelan veteran continued to make life difficult for Asencio early on, and in the seventh minute, the Spaniard was shown a straight red card after he brought Rondon down, who was through on goal.

Although the early red card briefly woke Real Madrid up after a poor start, they were still on the ropes, and in the 18th minute, Thibaut Courtois produced a good double save to save his side from going 2-0 down. The Spanish giants may hold a significant advantage in talent, but Pachuca were outfighting them in the early stages of the match and seemed to want it a lot more.

Despite Pachuca’s very good start to the match, it was Madrid who drew first blood. They produced some superb play down the left flank, and Francisco Garcia played the ball into the path of Jude Bellingham, who did what he does best and strode into the box and slotted an excellent left-footed finish into the bottom corner, which Carlos Moreno had no chance of saving.

Eight minutes after taking the lead, Madrid doubled their lead through Arda Guler. Their first goal was very well worked, but Madrid’s second goal was even better and was a showcase of elite, one-touch football at its absolute finest, and it was capped off with a tidy finish by the Turkish international right into the bottom corner. As mentioned, although Pachuca enjoyed a very good start to the match and had a man advantage, around the half-hour mark, Xabi Alonso’s men took full control of the match and were playing at a different level to the opposition.

Guler’s goal was the last action of the first half, and Real Madrid went into the break with a 2-0 lead despite being down to 10 men.

Pachuca’s half-time changes, particularly the introduction of John Kennedy, gave them a new lease of life in the second half, and they came out a lot more threatening than they were when the referee blew his whistle for half-time. Kennedy kept cutting inside on his right foot and testing Courtois with shots from distance, but the Belgian was equal to them.

Despite Pachuca’s efforts to get back into the game, they were suckerpunched in the 70th minute as Madrid made it 3-0 with yet another wonderfully worked goal. Dean Huijsen started the move off by playing a perfect through ball down the line to Vinicius Junior, the Brazilian then found Federico Valverde in the midfield who put it out to the right flank to Brahim Diaz and the Moroccan found Valverde, who made a superb run into the box and tapped it into the back of the net to surely secure his side the three points.

Just 10 minutes after Madrid went 3-0 up and thought they had the match won, Pachuca got a goal back and made it 3-1. The goal was scored by Elias Montiel, who was lively all throughout the match, and although his strike from outside the box took a huge deflection, he will not care.

After a few handbags at the end of the match between Antonio Rudiger and a few Pachuca players, the referee blew his whistle, and the final score was Real Madrid 3-1 Pachuca.

Match Highlights

Real Madrid Player Ratings

GK: Thibaut Courtois – 9/10 (Man of the Match)

Although his side took firm control of the match after around 30 minutes, they still had a man disadvantage, and this was shown with how many shots Courtois had to deal with. The big Belgian made 10 saves, and the goal which he conceded was an extremely unfortunate one as it took a huge deflection.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7/10

Put in a few dangerous crosses throughout the match and played a significant role in Guler’s goal. The Englishman had some shaky moments on the ball and defensively, but nothing overly concerning.

CB: Raul Asencio – 4/10

A disastrous seven-minute cameo. From minute one, the Spaniard looked second best to Salomon Rondon, and was physically dominated. Asencio was shown a straight red card after just seven minutes for bringing down the big forward as he was in on goal.

CB: Dean Huijsen – 7.5/10

Superb when playing the ball out of defence, and was very controlled and composed defensively.

LB: Francisco Garcia – 8/10

Garcia was solid both offensively and defensively and also managed to get an assist to his name for Bellingham’s opening goal.

CM: Aurelien Tchouameni – 7.5/10

Struggled early in the match, but once he was settled down after being moved to centre-back following Asencio’s early red card, he put in a solid showing and didn’t really put a foot wrong.

CM: Federico Valverde – 8.5/10

Brilliant energy and quality in the midfield and wide areas. As well as showing great quality, Valverde worked his socks off and deservedly got a goal to show for it.

CM: Jude Bellingham – 8.5/10

Put in a great all-round performance as not only was he a huge attacking threat, he worked his socks off and did the dirty work when needed as well. Bellingham’s opening goal was a huge one as Pachuca were the better team up to this point.

RW: Arda Guler – 8.5/10

Played a huge part in a lot of Madrid’s slick and silky attacks. The 20-year-old was one of his side’s biggest attacking threats, and this was shown with his excellent goal which put them 2-0 up.

ST: Gonzalo Garcia – 8/10

The youngster may have only played 45 minutes, but he put in an excellent performance. Not only did Garcia get an assist to his name for Guler’s goal, but he also pressed from the front very well and had some great moments of link-up play with his teammates.

LW: Vinicius Junior – 7.5/10

A nuisance for Pachuca defenders to deal with all throughout the match but never really offered anything in front of goal.

SUB: Brahim Diaz – 7.5/10

Provided the assist for Valverde’s goal and was a lively attacking threat for Madrid.

SUB: Luka Modric – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB: Daniel Ceballos – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB: Antonio Rudiger – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB: Victor Munoz – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

Pachuca Player Ratings

GK: Carlos Moreno – 5/10

Didn’t make a single save and couldn’t really do anything about any of Madrid’s three goals.

RB: Luis Rodriguez – 5.5/10

Never really offered anything offensively and really struggled defensively up against the Madrid forward line, particularly Vinicius Junior.

CB: Eduardo Bauermann – 6.5/10

Made several good tackles and clearances but struggled with the pace and trickery of the Madrid attackers.

CB: Federico Pereira – 6.5/10

Played well with the ball at his feet, and just like his defensive partner, Bauermann, Pereira made quite a lot of good and key clearances, tackles and blocks.

LB: Bryan Gonzalez – 7/10

Put in several really dangerous crosses into the Madrid penalty area and managed to create the most chances for his side.

CM: Elias Montiel – 8/10

Worked incredibly hard in midfield and made some top and perfectly timed interceptions, particularly in the first half. The teenager’s good performance was capped off with a somewhat fortunate but deserved goal.

CM: Agustin Palavecino – 6/10

Nice and tidy in possession of the ball, but didn’t really contribute anything significant.

CM: Alan Bautista – 6/10

Hardly saw any of the ball but made himself a nuisance and a presence with his energy and running.

RW: Alexei Dominguez Figueroa – 5/10

Sloppy when given possession of the ball in wide areas and never really posed a threat to Garcia.

ST: Salomon Rondon – 7/10

A horrible player for the Madrid defenders to play against. The veteran striker may not have offered too much in front of goal, but his work rate and physicality caused lots of problems.

LW: Kenedy – 7/10

Was a nuisance and a bit of a goal threat in the first half, but in the second half, he was practically anonymous and was taken off just 15 minutes in.

SUB: John Kennedy – 7/10

Changed the game for Pachuca and was an instant attacking threat after coming on.

SUB: Gustavo Cabral – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.​​​​​​​

SUB: Carlos Sanchez – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB: Javier Lopez – 7/10

Didn’t do much after coming on, but still managed to get an assist to his name.

SUB: Victor Guzman – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

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