Leaders-Mena magazine provided a live coverage for Wednesday’s game between Real Madrid and Al-Hilal in the first round of Group H of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Fulltime: Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal
Scorers: G. Garcia 34′ / R. Neves 41′ (pen)
Yellow cards:
Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
Ruben Neves, Mohammed Al-Qahtani (Al-Hilal)
Lineups:
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois; Trent Alexander-Arnold (Lucas Vazquez 65), Raul Asencio (Arda Guler 46), Dean Huijsen, Fran Garcia; Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni; Rodrygo (Brahim Diaz 65), Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Jr. (Victor Munoz 80)
Al-Hilal: Bono; Joao Cancelo (Hamad Al-Yami 65), Hassan Al-Tambakti, Kalidou Koulibaly, Renan Lodi; Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Nasser Al-Dawsari (Mohamed Kanno 76); Malcom (Mohammed Al-Qahtani 65), Marcos Leonarod, Salem Al-Dawsari
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90+10′ Second half ends.
90+10′ Moteb Al-Harbi gets a yellow card for a bad foul.
90+9′ Guler wins a free kick for Real Madrid in the attacking half.
90+7′ Tchouameni jumps for a header from the corner kick, but fails to steer the ball into the goal as it flies high over the bar.
90+7′ Real Madrid have been awarded a corner kick.
90+4′ He should have scored! Guler gathered a short pass deep inside the box but took too long to shoot, allowing the defender to make the block.
90+4′ Victor Munoz sends a beautiful cross into the penalty area, but the opposition’s defence manages to clear the ball to safety.
90+2′ MISS! Federico Valverde blows a huge chance to score! He sends the penalty to the bottom left corner, but it’s not enough to beat Bono who easily stops the effort.
90′ Penalty for Real Madrid.
89′ Al-Hilal’s Ruben Neves gets a yellow card.
88′ Play continues despite the shouts by some Real Madrid players for a penalty. Wait! Referee Facundo Tello interrupts the game right now and he will review that decision using VAR! Let’s see what happens.
87′ Fran Garcia breaks into the box and goes over after a challenge from an opposition player, but the ref signals NO penalty!
87′ A cross from Aurelien Tchouameni fails to reach the box as the defence clears the ball away to safety.
86′ Victor Munoz whips the ball in, but it fails to reach any of his teammates as the opposition’s defence averts the threat.
84′ Substitution for Real Madrid: Luka Modric comes in for Jude Bellingham.
81′ Lucas Vazquez tries to send the ball in front of the goal, but the opposition’s defence averts the threat. The ball is out of play and the linesman points at the corner flag. Corner to Real Madrid.
81′ Victor Munoz slaloms his way past challenges, but an opposing player does well to get the ball away.
80′ Substitution for Real Madrid: Victor Munoz replaces Vinicius Junior.
80′ Throw in for Real Madrid.
77′ Al-Hilal win a free kick following a foul by Jude Bellingham
76′ Substitution for Al-Hilal: Injured Nasser Al-Dawsari goes off the pitch and Mohamed Kanno comes on
75′ Arda Guler takes the corner but fails to find any of his teammates. The ball is easily cleared out of danger.
73′ WHAT A SAVE! Federico Valverde receives a low pass just outside the box and drills a fine strike towards the middle of the goal. Bono pulls off a reflexive save to block his effort. Nice goalkeeping skill, indeed.
72′ Marcos Leonardo receives a well-played pass inside the penalty area and shoots. He sends the ball into orbit.
69′ It’s time for the cooling break for the players to take on some fluids.
67′ Arda Guler runs onto a good long pass and tries his luck from the edge of the box, but his effort flies high over the bar.
65′ Double Subs for Real Madrid: Lucas Vazquez comes in for Trent Alexander-Arnold; Brahim Diaz replaces Rodrygo.
65′ Double Subs for Al-Hilal: Hamad Al-Yami replaces Joao Cancelo; Mohammed Al-Qahtani comes in for Malcom
62′ Gonzalo Garcia wastes a great scoring opportunity! He receives a precise lofted cross inside the box and sends a quick shot to the right side of the goal, but he can’t get the power to direct it past Bono, who keeps it out.
61′ Real Madrid’s Rodrygo fails to find any of his teammates inside the box as his pass is blocked.
60′ Al-Hilal defence had a hard time blocking out the strike from Gonzalo Garcia. He didn’t hesitate and finished from outside the box right after he had received a pass from his teammate.
58′ Arda Guler crosses the ball into the box from the free kick, but the defence clears the danger.
58′ Dean Huijsen wins a free kick for Real Madrid on the left wing.
57′ Ruben Neves was too fierce in his attempt to get the ball from his opponent and Facundo Tello blows for a foul.
56′ Throw in for Al-Hilal
53′ Al-Hilal’s Marcos Leonardo tries his luck with a right-footed shot from the right side of the six yard box, but he drags his effort wide of the right post.
51′ An accurate pass to the edge of the box is well taken by Federico Valverde, whose instinctive shot towards goal flashes inches wide of the left post.
46′ What a save from Bono! Gonzalo Garcia jumps high to meet a cross and glances a promising header from close range, but the goalkeeper pulls off a brilliant stop to keep it out.
46′ WHAT A CHANCE! Arda Guler capitalizes with Vinicius’s cross with a left-footed shot from very close range, but unluckily it hits the bar .
46′ Second half begins.
46′ Substitution for Real Madrid: Arda Guler replaces Raul Asencio
Halftime
45+6′ First half ends.
45+5′ Flag goes up against Marcos Leonardo and the referee blows his whistle for offside.
45+3′ Ruben Neves sends in a poor cross from the corner and Madrid’s goalie Thibaut Courtois has no trouble gathering it.
45+2′ That’s unlucky! Salem Al-Dawsari beautifully controls a pass and from the edge of the box drills a shot in on goal, but it’s inadvertently blocked by a defender and cleared. The ball goes behind for a corner. Al-Hilal will have an opportunity to threaten the opposition’s goal.
45′ Fourth official announces 5 minutes of added time.
42′ A nice individual effort by Salem Al-Dawsari comes to nothing as his shot is blocked on the edge of the box by a defender.
(GOAL) That’s a great strike from the spot by Ruben Neves into the right of the net, giving goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois no chance!
41′ GOOAAL… Al-Hilal equalize from the spot.
39′ PENALTY for Al-Hilal.
37′ Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia unleashes a left-footed shot from a difficult angle on the left, but the defence blocks the shot.
36′ Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is caught offside.
(GOAL) Fantastic team work! Gonzalo Garcia was set free in the area by Rodrygo and made no mistake with a lovely finish into the left side of the net.
34′ GOOAAL.. Real Madrid score.
33′ Madrid’s Rodrygo tries his luck with a left-footed shot from outside the box, but it goes wide.
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The Hard Rock Stadium has filled out with Real Madrid and Al-Hilal fans. Their teams have not had much to shout about so far though.
30′ A cooling break is underway.
27′ A CHANCE! Hassan Al-Tambakti outjumps his marker inside the box and heads the resulting corner way wide of the right post.
27′ The corner kick from Salem Al Dawsari is headed out of the penalty area by one of the defenders. Al-Hilal force a corner. Their opponents will face another attacking threat.
26′ Salem Al-Dawsari goes on a solo run, but he fails to create a chance as an opposition player blocks him. The ball goes out for a corner. Al-Hilal can continue in their attacking effort.
25′ Federico Valverde wins a free kick for Real Madrid in the defensive half.
24′ Joao Cancelo delivers a promising cross into the box, but it’s cleared.
23′ Al-Dawsari takes the corner and sends it into the penalty area, but the opposition’s defence is ready and makes a good clearance.
22′ Salem Al-Dawsari launches a powerful cross from the corner into the box, but the ball is intercepted by the defender. The ball is out of play. Al-Hilal will have a chance to score from a corner.
22′ Renan Lodi passes the ball from the edge of the box in order to find his teammate, who is in a good scoring position, but the defender blocks the pass and spanks the ball to safety. The ball goes out of play. Al-Hilal are awarded a corner kick.
19′ The assistant referee raises his flag and the referee blows his whistle. Renan Lodi (Al Hilal) puts the ball into the net, but he is flagged for offside.
17′ Real’s Trent Alexander-Arnold tries to create a chance, but puts too much weight on his pass. The ball goes out of play and Al-Hilal will have a goal kick.
15′ Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior gets a yellow card for simulation.
14′ Al-Hilal’s Renan Lodi picks up an injury.
12′ Corner kick for Real Madrid; conceded by Hassan Al-Tambakti.
10′ Marcos Leonardo gets a shot from inside the penalty area and it flies just wide of the left post.
8′ Delay in match because of Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde injury.
7′ Malcom wins a free kick for Al-Hilal in the defensive half, following a foul by Fran Garcia.
6′ WHAT A SAVE! Al-Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou produces a brilliant save to deny Raul Asencio’s right-footed shot from outside the box in the centre of the goal.
4′ Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s shoots the ball with his right foot from outside the box, but Real Madrid defense blocks the shot.
2′ Sergej Milinkovic-Savic wins a free kick for Al-Hilal in the attacking half.
2′ Sergej Milinkovic-Savic creates space for himself on the edge of the box and smacks a hard shot towards the middle of the goal, but it’s an easy save for Thibaut Courtois.
1′ Joao Cancelo wins a free kick for Al-Hilal in the defensive half.
1′ First half begins.
20:00 Real Madrid will be eager to win their sixth World Cup trophy to add to their growing silverware cabinet, as they also aim to increase the gap with their arch-rivals Barcelona, who claimed the tournament’s title three times.
19:00 Both sides suffered disappointing trophyless seasons, leading to the departure of Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus from Al-Hilal and Ancelotti from Madrid. However, they will be looking to claim a title ahead of the new season.
18:00 Possible Starting Lineups:
Real Madrid: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Nacho, Rudiger, Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr., Guler
Al-Hilal: Bono; Tambakti, Koulibaly, Al-Bulayhi; Cancelo, Kanno, Neves, Milinkovic-Savic, Al-Dawsari; Malcom, Mitrovic
16:00 Real Madrid also head into the game under the guidance of new coach Xabi Alonso who recently took charge of the Spanish side as a replacement for Italian tactician Carlo Ancelotti.
15:00 The Blue Waves enter the game under new manager after the Riyadh-based side appointed Italian tactician Simone Inzaghi as first team coach following his departure from Serie A giants Inter Milan a few weeks ago.
14:00 Both sides met once in the final of the 2022 competition, where the Los Blancos claimed a 5-3 win and their fifth title.
12:00 Al-Hilal will face off against European giants Real Madrid in Group H open at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday, with the Riyadh giants hope for a victory.
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, USA)
Referee: Facundo Tello (Argentine)
Check the match preview here.
That first half has absolutely flown by! Al-Hilal have been superb and carried the greater threat for the vast majority of the game. They were hit with a sucker punch when Madrid youngster Gonzalo Garcia put Los Blancos ahead against the run of play, but quickly hit back through Ruben Neves’ penalty.
Madrid will surely improve in the second half. If not, they could be in real trouble.
The match has been played a very high tempo. A thrill to watch. More of the same in the second half, please!