Real Madrid displayed resilience and class as they secured a 3-1 victory over Pachuca in their FIFA Club World Cup Group H encounter at the Bank of America Stadium, despite being reduced to ten men just seven minutes into the match.
Spanish defender Raúl Asencio received a straight red card early on, putting the European champions under immediate pressure.
However, Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the 35th minute, capping off a swift counter-attack assisted by Fran García. The English midfielder’s composed finish settled the nerves and set the tone for the remainder of the match.
Just before half-time, Arda Güler doubled the lead in the 43rd minute with a well-placed strike following an assist from Gonzalo García. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Real went into the break with a commanding 2-0 lead.
The second half saw Real Madrid continue to dictate play. Federico Valverde made it 3-0 in the 70th minute after being teed up by Brahim Díaz.
Meanwhile, Pachuca managed to pull a goal back in the 80th minute through Gonzalo Montiel. The Argentine midfielder’s strike from the edge of the box took a heavy deflection off Aurelien Tchouaméni, wrong-footing goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and finding the back of the net.
There were moments of tension late on, most notably involving Antonio Rüdiger, who went down in the Pachuca box following minimal contact from defender Cabral.
The German defender’s appeals for a penalty were waved away, prompting a heated exchange that required teammates to intervene.
With the win, Real Madrid take a significant step towards qualifying from Group H, having now accumulated their first points of the tournament.
The performance will be particularly satisfying for Alonso’s side, who not only coped with the numerical disadvantage but also showed attacking fluidity and defensive resilience.
For Pachuca, the result leaves them still searching for their first win, and they will need a strong response in their remaining group matches to stay in contention.
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