Wednesday sees an interesting match-up in the Club World Cup in Hard Rock Stadium, as perhaps the largest football team in the world, Real Madrid, will compete against Al Hilal of the Saudi Pro League (SPL), which tries to become the best competition in the world.
That said their poster boy, Cristiano Ronaldo, not so long ago, when he also claimed that the Saudi competition Ligue 1 had already overtaken in terms of his competitiveness.
Al Hilal has won six of the last nine domestic league titles, but this season were goded during the post that has just gone through Al Ittihad.
As a failure to keep their title, Jorge Jesus eventually saw his duties, even though he was the most successful manager in their history and won 81 of his first 96 games.
Difficult start for Inzaghi
Former Inter Milan coach, Simone Inzaghi, took his place shortly after the embarrassing Champions League final of the Nerazzurri against Paris Saint-Germain, and asking if his team was aware of the movement before the game.
“Today I heard – or heard about – all kinds of things, as happened often during the four years that I was at Inter,” the Italian said at a recent press conference.
“If this (questions about his integrity) was the price to pay for my four years at Inter, I will like to pay for it. But it is nothing compared to the good that I have received from the entire interwereld – I mean the fans, management, the players, everyone at Inter.
“I know I will miss it – I will miss everything, even this – even the most unfair accusations that these four years were made. But I was really happy. I gave everything.”
Xabi Alonso also debuts in the Dugout
Real Madrid will also have a new man in the Dugout in Xabi Alonso, and the Spaniard will be looking for the dominance of Los Blancos of the Club World Cup and a record sixth title.
The two teams have of course met in the previous form of the competition, of course, with the LaLiga Giants who come to the top of a 5-3 victory in the final of 2022 – their only earlier meeting to date.
Goals may also be a function here, given that Real's last four games at the World Cup club have scored more than three goals and both teams get on the score sheet.
In Termen van Momentum, the Spaniards also yielded at least two goals in their last six competitive matches.
In the two earlier matches that Inzaghi has hit Real and another against Alonso, he has lost every time and his teams have not even been given any goal.
Already Hilal is bearing a considerable striking threat
It is clear that people like Aleksandar Mitrovic – 19 goals in 23 SPL matches last season – and Marcos Leonardo – 17 goals in 24 games – will probably play a very important role for all Hilal, who might otherwise make a tough fight.
The Saudi giants are probably also relieved to hear that the European Golden Boot winner, Kylian Mbappe, will probably not appear because he has a fever, while Vinicius Jr. Double is because of an injury.
However, the plans of Inzaghi can also be affected by the news that no fewer than six can already be excluded Hilal -Stam guests.
Already Hilal recent results flash score
Trent Alexander-Arnold will probably make his debut after Real has reached Liverpool to allow the right back to leave the Reds early, and he will stand next to his English teammate Jude Bellingham.
In a Madrid side that looked during the 2024/25 campaign, they are expected to inject any urgency in the game of Real, and it would be a big surprise if their opponents were sometimes not overwhelmed.
That said, with 95 goals in the SPL last season – at least 15 more than any other side – Hilal is certainly able to disturb a real back line that turned out to be Bros when they put pressure during the 2024/25 campaign.
Huijsen will have his hands full
Undoubtedly, the acquisition of Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth was a direct consequence of Real's defensive problems, and he will also pull the white shirt for the first time in what a new line-up could be, at least for the opening match.
Aleksandar Mitrovic van Al Hilal celebrates the score of the first goal of his team in the King's Cup final against Al Nassrafp / AFP / AFP / Profimedia
The elegant 20-year-old will certainly have his hands full against people like Mitrovic and Leonardo, but stopping the supply line of Malcom, Joao Annalo, Ruben Neves et al is just as important as Real does not want to suffer what an embarrassing reverse would be with the greatest respect for all Hilal.
She will certainly place a victory for both sides in the box chair and also place a marker for the rest of the luminaires of Group H, which immediately afterwards start when Pachuca and RB Salzburg complete the list of luminaire for the day.
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