Madrid beats Al Ahly, advances to Club World Cup final
RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Real Madrid secured its place within the Club World Cup closing with a 4-1 win in opposition to Egyptian membership Al Ahly on Wednesday to maintain alive its quest for a record-extending eighth world title.
Vinícius Júnior, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo and Sergio Arribas scored for the Spanish aspect, which is able to play Al-Hilal in Saturday’s closing. The Saudi Arabian group beat Brazilian membership Flamengo 3-2 on Tuesday.
Madrid has received the world membership title a document seven occasions, together with thrice when the competitors was known as the Intercontinental Cup. Madrid is chasing its first world membership title since 2018.
Ali Maaloul scored the lone objective for Al Ahly, along with his group already trailing 2-0 within the second half. Vinícius opened the scoring within the forty second minute for his fiftieth objective in 202 matches with Madrid. Valverde added to the lead early within the second half earlier than Rodrygo and Arribas sealed the victory in stoppage time. It was the primary objective for the 21-year-old Arribas with Madrid’s first group.
“We lowered the intensity and suffered a bit, but in the end we could manage it,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated. “We go into the final very motivated.”
Madrid was with out six injured gamers who didn’t journey to Morocco, together with striker Karim Benzema, defender Éder Militão and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Ancelotti stated Benzema and Militão will rejoin their teammates for the ultimate, however Courtois, ahead Eden Hazard and defenders Ferland Mendy and Lucas Vázquez are usually not going to make it.
Madrid had been struggling not too long ago, having received solely two of its final seven matches in a stint that included defeat in opposition to rival Barcelona within the Spanish Super Cup closing in Saudi Arabia.
Madrid received the Club World Cup in 2014 — additionally in Morocco — and from 2016-2018. The different titles in 1960, 1998 and 2002 got here within the Intercontinental Cup.
The final time a non-European group received the Club World Cup was in 2012, when Brazil’s Corinthians beat Chelsea 1-0 in Japan.
