With a thrilling 5-3 victory over Al Hilal on Saturday in Morocco, Real Madrid won the Club World Cup for a record-breaking sixth time.
In Madrid’s stunning triumph over their Saudi Arabian opponents, Vinicius Junior and Fede Valverde each scored twice, and Karim Benzema also scored after returning from injury.
The attacking prowess of Carlo Ancelotti’s team, champions of the Champions League the previous season, was simply too much for their opponents to handle.
Madrid won with a resounding victory in Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium, giving them their second trophy of the year after winning the European Super Cup in August.
It also served as a much-needed distraction from their La Liga season, in which they are currently eight points back of rival Barcelona, who defeated them in the Spanish Super Cup final in January.
Additionally, Madrid won three Intercontinental Cups in 1960, 1998, and 2002. This competition featured winners from Europe and South America and was combined with the Club World Cup in 2005.
For the ninth time, Madrid is the world champion, and Ancelotti told Telecinco, “We are really thrilled, it was what we had to achieve.”
“We’re pleased; the match went well. We started off with a lot of quality.
Vinicius, Karim, and Valverde all scored twice, and the team had quality and mobility up top, in my opinion.
After missing the semi-final victory over Al Ahly due to a thigh injury, Ancelotti reinstated Benzema into the starting lineup, moving Rodrygo to the bench.
With a quick pass that put the Brazilian winger through on goal, the 35-year-old striker set up Vinicius for the game’s first goal.
Vinicius had a difficult time in Spain due to racial taunts from the crowd and opponents swarming him on the field, but he had a great time in Morocco where he scored in both of Madrid’s games and won player of the tournament.
The same could be said for the team as a whole, who were happy to take a quick break from their domestic conflict with Xavi Hernandez’s Barcelona to become world champions.
The second goal was scored by Valverde, who blindsided Abdullah Al-Mayoof by shooting it through Ali Albulayhi’s knees.
Former Porto striker Moussa Marega restored parity for the 2021 Asian Champions League champions by slipping a shot past Andriy Lunin, who ought to have taken additional precautions to block it.
While filling in for the injured Thibaut Courtois on his birthday, the Ukrainian goalkeeper had a forgettable performance despite the team’s victory.
For a brief while, it appeared that the Saudi Arabian team might put their more famed competitors to the test, but Madrid picked up the pace in the second half to clinch an entertaining victory.
Early in the second half, Vinicius set up Benzema with an exquisite cross utilising the outside of his boot, and the French forward scored with ease.
Using a deft pass from defender Dani Carvajal, Uruguayan midfielder Valverde scored his second goal, regaining his form and scoring after a slump.
Luciano Vietto, a former Atletico Madrid striker, dinked a shot past Lunin to give Al Hilal a second goal.
Vietto pounced with a deft turn and finish to trim the deficit to two goals once more after Vinicius immediately responded with a lethal strike.
With 10 minutes remaining, Marega had a wonderful opportunity to tie the game but missed it, allowing Madrid to escape responsibility.
With a 4-2 victory over Al Ahly of Egypt, previous Brazilian Copa Libertadores champions Flamengo came in third.
AFP
