Federico Valverde scored the third goal in the triumph of Real Madrid 3-1 over Pachuca. In Charlotte. EFE/ ANDRÉ COELHO
Photo: EFE – ANDRÉ COELHO
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The Real Madrid had very uphill when Raúl Asencio left the pitch expelled in the 7th minute, but the numerical inferiority unleashed the Xabi Alonso team, which ended up taking out the muscles in the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, with a 3-1 over the Mexican Pachuca that brought whit the whites to the next round of the Club World Cup.
Jude Bellingham broke equality at 35 minutes and Arda Guler took advantage of the ownership that Xabi Alonso gave him to sign 2-0 on the edge of the break from the Canterano Gonzalo García, again in the initial eleven before the decline of Kylian Mbappé. The omnipresent Fede Valverde, who touches the 6,200 minutes this season, signed 3-0 after the resumption.
Xabi Alonso celebrated his first victory at the head of the White Club after premiering with a 1-1 against Al Hilal and the first position will be played on June 26 in Philadelphia against Salzburg.
The Pachuca was missing a great opportunity to relaunch his Club World Cup, but ran into a monumental Thibaut Courtois. The only goal of his afternoon, Elías Montiel's work in the 80th minute, did not avoid the elimination of the Azteca team tournament.
They were three key points for Madrid, which also reached a 'plus 2' in the difference of goals that could be key to breaking an eventual draw and defining who leaves the H group as a leader. Except for the avoidable red of Asencio, everything was positive news for Xabi Alonso.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois closed the goal
Because under the 34 degrees of Charlotte, Real Madrid had a slow start again. With an important lag between high defensive line and pressure that Pachuca took the opportunity to harm. And in one of that kind of such situations, Madrid paid. Asencio committed a naive foul, this time a grip to Solomon Rondón.
The referee did not hesitate to get the direct red and left Madrid with ten men with more than 80 minutes ahead. With little strength to press up, Madrid had to defend itself from three or four similar situations. He had to thank Tibaut Courtois, present with two large stops to Kenedy and Alan Bautista, and Huijsen's defensive lucidity.
Xabi Alonso could not like what he saw. And he noticed in the hydration pause of half an hour. He changed the drawing, with Vinicius in Punta, Gonzalo displaced to the left and Bellingham in the double pivot with Valverde. A decision that had a prize, with Gonzalo as the protagonist.
Gonzalo presents a candidacy
The canterano promoted the 1-0 goal with a great heel play in the center of the field to open the backlash that, after an assistance from Fran García, Bellingham culminated with a cross-satin shot that struck the goalkeeper.
He was the best of the match against Al Hilal and did not miss the 45 minutes that Xabi gave him this Sunday. He showed lucidity and tactical intelligence in his plays and handed Guler in 43 a perfect pass in the area that the Turk took advantage of for 2-0.
He continued with Altibajos in Madrid, but he could always count on his goalkeeper. Courtois, who on the eve expressed his desire to retire as a Real Madrid player, closed the goal with two large stops to John Kennedy and López to prevent Pachuca from taking confidence. And again from the defense Madrid came out to harm.
A long pass from Huijsen opened the way for 3-0, Valverde's work after a backlash started by Vinicius in which Brahim Díaz, from the right wing, hung the center for the goal of the Uruguayan.
Xabi Alonso, who had given way at the time of the game to Luka Modric, cheered in each field in his farewell to Madrid, also gave Antonio Rudiger minutes, recovered after his meniscus problem.
The triple advantage reassured Madrid and Pachuca, and without options to prolong its path in the World Cup, cut distances by Elías Montiel, with a shot that ended at the bottom of the meshes after an involuntary deviation from Tchouameni.
A dispute between Rudiger and several defenses from Pachuca marked the last minutes, in which Madrid shielded a key victory for its path in the tournament.
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