Real Madrid is aiming for its eighth World Cup, the fifth Club World Cup since its format change in 2000, in a final that recognizes the best club in the world at the Príncipe Moulay Abdellah Stadium, pitting the most successful team in the competition against the revelation , Saudi Al Hilal, winner of the Asian Champions League, has Gustavo Cuéllar from Barranquilla and caused the big surprise by knocking out Flamengo.
A title that has become an obligation for Real Madrid. A dream for Al Hilal in his first final in a World Cup for club teams. The perfect end to a dream season for Carlo Ancelotti’s team and a boost in the present. Victim of a calendar that affects its regularity, with matches every three days conditioning the physique and leaving injuries that take their toll.
He faced the Club World Cup without three of his big credentials in a long list of casualties. With a goal without Thibaut Courtois, a defense without Eder Militao and an attack without Karim Benzema. The latter two traveled to Rabat after the win to expedite their options. They will waver to the end, with more need for the return of a clean 9 like Benzema, despite the four goals in the semi-final that shaped a misleading result after difficult moments against Al Ahly.
Away from the focus of the controversy that haunts him in Spain, the deadliest version of Brazilian Vinícius Junior has resurfaced. Packed by everyone, away from the conflict and provocations, imposing his football full of insolence. Even the rival coach of the final, the Argentinian Ramón Díaz, advises him to “deviate from outdoor football”.
Four years and a month after their last conquest, which was a record as it was the third in a row for a Real Madrid to have completed a stage under the management of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Madrid team is in the final of a competition of great dominance European . Favoritism is marked by history. No less than 14 of the 18 editions conquered by the current champions of ‘Champions League’. Only the Brazilians Corinthians, Sao Paulo and Internacional were able to change the order of world football. Never a team from another continent.
To continue the line, Ancelotti again bets on Andriy Lunin in goal after his good performance in the semi-finals. You have to decide how to rebuild a defense where Militao can be a last-minute reinforcement, but with less need to force. With Dani Carvajal already recovered from the flu that hit his replacement, the opportunity to move Nacho Fernández to center and David Alaba to left-back. It was a demarcation where Camavinga surprised until he showed signs of weakness against Al Ahly.
The biggest current headache for Ancelotti is midfield. Dani Ceballos’ moment revolutionizes every previous idea. Despite Luka Modric’s physical improvement. It is a difficult decision for the Italian coach who left the Andalusian on the bench in the semi-finals and was ultimately decisive. With Aurélien Tchouaméni as midfielder and Toni Kroos at the helm, there is not room for everyone.
Fede Valverde emerges as the third member of the trident, who would send Rodrygo to the bench if Benzema forces to face in the final. Also recovered from a minor muscle disease, Marco Asensio will wait his minutes. The Real Madrid players for the big event are Courtois, Ferland Mendy, Lucas Vázquez and Eden Hazard.
Proof that football is changing comes with a final that will not measure the strength of European football against the South Americans as it has in the past three editions. Al Hilal will try to prevent the trophy from going to Europe for the tenth consecutive year and to Asia for the first time in his fourth participation in the tournament.
He earned it by hand. Under the guidance of such a prestigious coach as Argentina’s Ramón Díaz, he began his journey with a dose of suffering against host Wydad Casablanca (1-1), for whom he needed the final penalty shootout to overcome him. He took the pressure off in the semi-finals and completed the revenge against Flamengo, his executioner in 2019, with a great performance. They exploded playing the second half in superiority after Gérson’s exclusion, winning 3–2 with Salem Aldawsari’s penalty double and the goal from a striker with a past in Spain as Luciano Vietto.
With the foundation of the Saudi Arabian team that left good moments in the recent World Cup in Qatar, such as the triumph for history that would later become champions, Argentina, and the addition of experienced foreigners such as Gustavo Cuéllar, André Carrillo, Odion Ighalo, Moussa Marega or Vietto himself, Al Hilal will face Real Madrid on the most important day in their history without complexes. Champion of four Asian ‘Champions’, he faces the moment of the utmost importance.
Ramón Díaz will reinstate one of his key midfield pieces, Saudi international Mohamed Kanno, once the one match suspension expires after he was sent off against Wydad Casablanca for a double yellow card.
After finishing fourth in two editions of the Club World Cup, in 2019 and 2021, Al Hilal has already set a new record, but he wants more. He reached the final with a losing streak of twelve games in a row. After the Japanese Kashima Antlers and the Emirati Al Ain, it will be the third team of the Asian Confederation to compete for the title in a final. Both were won by Real Madrid.
– Probable setups:
Madrid: Lunin; Carvajal, Nacho, Rudiger, Alaba; Tchouaméni, Kroos, Ceballos; Fede Valverde, Vinicius and Benzema.
Al Hilal: Almayouf; Saud, Jang, AL Bulayhi, Khalifah; Cuellar, Carrillo, Mohamed Kanno; Marega, Vietto and Ighalo.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
Source: El heraldo
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
