Saudi giants Al-Hilal will officially commence Italian coach Simone Inzaghi’s era when they face European powerhouse Real Madrid in Group H of the FIFA Club World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday. Real Madrid also head into the tournament under new management, since they recently appointed Xabi Alonso following his departure from Bayer Leverkusen.
Inzaghi departed Inter Milan just weeks ago following their heavy Champions League final loss after a successful four-year tenure included one Serie A title plus four domestic cups. Al-Hilal appointed him swiftly after their second-place league finish behind Al-Ittihad, piling pressure on the Italian who must reclaim the Saudi title next season starting now.
Formidable Challenge for Riyadh Side
Real Madrid present an incredibly tough opening test for Al-Hilal, since the Spanish giants boast a record fifteen European Cup triumphs. Al-Hilal remain clear underdogs facing the mighty Madrid squad. Nevertheless, their potent attack netted ninety-five league goals last season. They recall scoring three times during the 2022 final loss.
Real Madrid endured a trophyless domestic season under Carlo Ancelotti who subsequently departed early for the Brazil national team job. Alonso returns to his former club after leaving Bayer Leverkusen, seeking his first trophy immediately adding Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold, hoping to lead the Madrid-based side aim for their sixth Club World Cup title.
Team News and Tactical Notes
As for Al-Hilal, Inzaghi will likely implement his favoured 3-5-2 formation, which may require some adjustment from the Riyadh-based side’s squad. Bono should feature between the posts, as the former Sevilla goalkeeper will be shielded by Kalidou Koulibaly, Hassan Tambakti, and Ali Al-Bulayhi.
Aleksandar Mitrovic will be one of Al-Hilal’s main attacking threats, as he scored 28 goals in 36 competitive appearances in the 2024-25 campaign.
Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, and Ferland Mendy have all travelled to the USA despite their injury issues. However, the quintet are unlikely to play a role in Wednesday’s contest, though defender Antonio Rudiger is doubtful after undergoing meniscus surgery in April.
Brazilian forward Endrick is not expected to play in the tournament after sustaining a hamstring injury last month. However, Alexander-Arnold and Huijsen are both set to make their highly-anticipated debuts following their arrivals from Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively.
Alonso also revealed that his French star Kylian Mbappe is doubtful for the game due to illness, which could be a huge blow for the Spanish giants, who would hope to replicate his form from his first La Liga campaign.
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
Real Madrid and Al-Hilal previously met in the competition’s final in Morocco in February 2023, claiming a 5-3 victory, with doubles from Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde. Los Blancos will now look to add a new trophy 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. Meanwhile, the Riyadh giants will enter motivated to exceed past performances and possibly lift their first ever Club World Cup title.
