- Real Madrid beat Pachuca 3:1 despite an early red card for Raul Asensio
- Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, and Federico Valverde scored for the Spanish side
- Thibaut Courtois made 11 saves, including several crucial stops to secure the win
Key Takeaways:
Real Madrid earned their first win at the Club World Cup after defeating Mexican side Pachuca 3:1 in a Group H match. Xabi Alonso’s team were reduced to ten men as early as the 7th minute following yet another foolish act from Raul Asensio.
Despite this, the Spaniards managed to score twice before halftime through Jude Bellingham (35) and Arda Guler (43), and after the break, Federico Valverde (70) finished off the Mexican side. Real’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had a huge game, making no less than 11 saves. Even he, however, could not stop the deflected strike from Elias Montiel in the 80th minute.
OO FEDE VALVERDEEE
☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️ pic.twitter.com/ViAFRibras— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 22, 2025
Surprisingly, Pachuca started the match strongly and nearly scored in the 3rd minute when Salomon Rondon volleyed just centimetres wide. Moments later, Real were left with a man down. Raul Asensio, who had conceded a penalty in the draw with Al Hilal, committed another blunder by fouling Rondon as he broke away. The defender received a straight red card, leaving his teammates with a man less early on.
In the following minutes, Pachuca missed several great chances, but Courtois produced a series of brilliant saves, denying efforts from Kennedy and Bautista. The Mexicans also had serious penalty claims for a foul by Fran Garcia inside the box. The incident was reviewed via VAR, but the referee did not point to the spot.
In the 30th minute, Fran Garcia broke down the left wing and found Jude Bellingham just outside the penalty area. The Englishman pushed the ball forward and struck a fierce left-footed shot into the far corner for 1:0.
Pachuca replied with another fine shot from Kennedy, resulting in yet another Courtois save. In the 43rd minute, Arda Guler all but settled the match. After a well-worked three-man combination, Trent found Gonzalo Garcia in the box, who played Guler through on goal. The Turkish playmaker calmly made it 2:0.
The second half began with more missed opportunities for Pachuca, as Kennedy and Rondon somehow failed to reduce the deficit. Courtois made another three impressive saves, and in the 70th minute, Real scored a third goal. Federico Valverde and Brahim Diaz ripped open the Mexican defence with a slick one-two, and Valverde tapped the ball into the net to make it 3:0.
Ten minutes later, Pachuca finally managed to get past Courtois. Elias Montiel fired from the edge of the area, and the ball took a deflection before landing in the back of the net. Shortly after, Courtois returned to action with another excellent save, this time denying Sanchez.