10-man Real Madrid defeat Pachuca for first win of Club World Cup
Real Madrid's Arda Guler and Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrate after a goal during the match against CF Pachuca. (AP pic)
CHARLOTTE : Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler scored late in the first half to help 10-man Real Madrid to a 3-1 victory over CF Pachuca in a Group H clash played amid sweltering conditions Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Federico Valverde's sliding volley in the 70th minute sealed Xabi Alonso's first victory as Madrid manager. The result puts his side's FIFA Club World Cup campaign back on track after a dramatic 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal in Wednesday's opener, despite Sunday's early dismissal of defender Raul Asencio.
Real Madrid can clinch a place in the last 16 with a win or draw against RB Salzburg on Thursday in Philadelphia. Al-Hilal play Salzburg later Sunday in Washington.
Thibault Courtois made 10 saves for the victors, though he could do little on Elias Montiel's 80th-minute deflected effort that provided Pachuca's consolation.
The Mexican side was eliminated despite leading its Spanish foes 25-8 in shots overall and 11-3 in efforts on target. But as in Pachuca's 2-1 Wednesday loss to Salzburg, it was their opponents who had more quality in their attacks.
Referee Ramon Abatti Abel showed no hesitation in dismissing Asencio in the seventh minute for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity after the Madrid defender hauled down Salomon Rondon just beyond the penalty area.
But after absorbing pressure for most of the opening half-hour, the Spaniards raced out to a 2-0 lead in the half's final 15 minutes.
In the 35th, Gonzalo Garcia's quick flick-on freed Fran Garcia down the left. The latter then picked out the late run of Bellingham, who collected a square ball and slid his low finish past Carlos Moreno from 15 yards.
In the 43rd, it was Guler providing the finishing touch from inside the area on another flowing Madrid move, this time with Gonzalo Garcia providing the final square pass after Trent Alexander-Arnold's first-touch cross.
Pachuca continued to apply pressure after the break, with Courtois forced to push Bryan Gonzalez's early second-half effort over the bar and John Kennedy's 61st-minute strike from distance well clear of his left post.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Frimpong Ready to Replace Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool
TRENT Alexander-Arnold left 'big shoes' to fill after leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid last month but new signing Jeremie Frimpong has no doubt he has the ability to replace the England international in the Premier League champions' defence. Frimpong's arrival from Bayer Leverkusen was announced hours after Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid, with the Dutch international becoming Arne Slot's first signing since winning the English top flight. 'Liverpool. It's a big club, so it's big shoes regardless,' Frimpong told Sky Sports in an interview published on Sunday, when asked if he would compete with Conor Bradley to succeed Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool's first choice for right back. 'It's a winning team ... they win trophies for a reason. If you play for a team like Liverpool you have to fill in the shoes and perform. 'I've always believed in myself. I'm a winner. That's what I'm going to bring to the team.' Amsterdam-born Frimpong, who can also play as a winger, spent nine years at Manchester City as a youth player before making his senior debut in 2019 at Celtic, who won the Scottish Premiership in his first season. The 24-year-old joined Leverkusen in 2021 and made 34 appearances as they won the Bundesliga in 2023-24. 'The Premier League is the best league in the world. I grew up in Manchester so I always wanted to come back. It was always the plan,' Frimpong said. 'I know what being a champion is like at Bayer Leverkusen, so joining a champion team is a privilege ... to go from watching (Liverpool) to playing for them is crazy. 'The manager has told me how I can help the team and he really likes me as a player. It's given me extra motivation and belief.'
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Frimpong ready to fill Alexander-Arnold's 'big shoes' at Liverpool
LONDON: Trent Alexander-Arnold left "big shoes" to fill after leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid last month but new signing Jeremie Frimpong has no doubt he has the ability to replace the England international in the Premier League champions' defence. Frimpong's arrival from Bayer Leverkusen was announced hours after Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid, with the Dutch international becoming Arne Slot's first signing since winning the English top flight. "Liverpool. It's a big club, so it's big shoes regardless," Frimpong told Sky Sports in an interview published on Sunday, when asked if he would compete with Conor Bradley to succeed Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool's first choice for right back. "It's a winning team ... they win trophies for a reason. If you play for a team like Liverpool you have to fill in the shoes and perform. "I've always believed in myself. I'm a winner. That's what I'm going to bring to the team." Amsterdam-born Frimpong, who can also play as a winger, spent nine years at Manchester City as a youth player before making his senior debut in 2019 at Celtic, who won the Scottish Premiership in his first season. The 24-year-old joined Leverkusen in 2021 and made 34 appearances as they won the Bundesliga in 2023-24. "The Premier League is the best league in the world. I grew up in Manchester so I always wanted to come back. It was always the plan," Frimpong said. "I know what being a champion is like at Bayer Leverkusen, so joining a champion team is a privilege ... to go from watching (Liverpool) to playing for them is crazy. "The manager has told me how I can help the team and he really likes me as a player. It's given me extra motivation and belief." - Reuters
The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Frimpong ready to fill Alexander-Arnold's 'big shoes' at Liverpool
TRENT Alexander-Arnold left 'big shoes' to fill after leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid last month but new signing Jeremie Frimpong has no doubt he has the ability to replace the England international in the Premier League champions' defence. Frimpong's arrival from Bayer Leverkusen was announced hours after Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid, with the Dutch international becoming Arne Slot's first signing since winning the English top flight. 'Liverpool. It's a big club, so it's big shoes regardless,' Frimpong told Sky Sports in an interview published on Sunday, when asked if he would compete with Conor Bradley to succeed Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool's first choice for right back. 'It's a winning team ... they win trophies for a reason. If you play for a team like Liverpool you have to fill in the shoes and perform. 'I've always believed in myself. I'm a winner. That's what I'm going to bring to the team.' Amsterdam-born Frimpong, who can also play as a winger, spent nine years at Manchester City as a youth player before making his senior debut in 2019 at Celtic, who won the Scottish Premiership in his first season. The 24-year-old joined Leverkusen in 2021 and made 34 appearances as they won the Bundesliga in 2023-24. 'The Premier League is the best league in the world. I grew up in Manchester so I always wanted to come back. It was always the plan,' Frimpong said. 'I know what being a champion is like at Bayer Leverkusen, so joining a champion team is a privilege ... to go from watching (Liverpool) to playing for them is crazy. 'The manager has told me how I can help the team and he really likes me as a player. It's given me extra motivation and belief.'
