🔊 Will Xabi Alonso secure his first victory as Real Madrid's head coach? The start of the Club World Cup hasn't been ideal for Madrid. However, Mexican side Pachuca have had an even worse start, cementing their status as group underdogs. According to bookmakers, the head-to-head clash between the teams on June 22 at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte lacks any real intrigue. Do the nominal visitors have a chance to snatch some points?

Head-to-Head

📊 The first head-to-head clash between these teams took place not too long ago, in mid-December 2024. It was the final of the Intercontinental Cup, where Real Madrid triumphed with ease, securing a 3-0 victory. All members of their attacking trio found the back of the net — Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Mbappe.

Real Madrid Team Overview

⚪ Just under two weeks into his tenure as Real Madrid's head coach, Xabi Alonso led his first training session, and the match against Al-Hilal showed that the Spaniard hasn’t had much time to make an impact yet. The "Los Blancos" struggled significantly in the first half, being outperformed by the Saudi giants in nearly every aspect, despite managing to score. It was 21-year-old academy graduate Gonzalo García who found the net. He was eventually named the man of the match, although, in our view, his performance lacked confidence.

👑 In the second half, Madrid noticeably improved and arguably deserved to secure all three points. However, Fede Valverde took on the role of the antihero, a rare occurrence for him. The Uruguayan was typically effective, covering a lot of ground, but let his team down at a crucial moment by missing a penalty in the 92nd minute. On a positive note, Dean Huijsen made a strong impression in his debut match, catching attention with his trademark incisive passes.

Pachuca Team Overview

🔵 Pachuca entered the group stage as the underdogs, and to shake off that label, they needed a win against Red Bull Salzburg in the opening round. Did they manage it? No. But were the Mexican side inferior to their opponents? Hardly. In terms of both quantity and quality of chances, Jaime Lozano's team actually outperformed the Austrian champions, though luck wasn't on their side.

🔝 A standout performance came from Bryan Gonzalez, who leveled the score with a brilliant free-kick. The left-back was rated the best player on his team. However, captain Salomon Rondon had a game to forget, contributing to Pachuca's winless streak, which now extends to four matches. The "Gophers" have secured just one victory since mid-April.

Latest news

Real Madrid

🎙 Xabi Alonso reflects on the match against Al-Hilal: “I wasn't very pleased with our first half. However, in the second half, we showed much more promise: we created more dangerous chances, had better possession, played with increased tempo, and generally controlled the game more effectively. At halftime, I asked the players to be a bit more patient with the ball and not rush things. We were definitely better in the second half, but it wasn't enough. Also, I'm not making excuses for our performance, but it was extremely hot today.”

❌ The squad situation at Madrid is far from ideal. Ferland Mendy and Endrick did not travel with the team to the USA due to injuries. Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger, and David Alaba have been training with the group but are unlikely to be match-ready. Eduardo Camavinga is working out individually. However, the major setback is Kylian Mbappé's illness. The Frenchman was recently hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis. Although he has been discharged, he is almost certainly out for the Pachuca match.

Pachuca

📌 It's worth noting that the match between Pachuca and Salzburg was interrupted for an hour and a half due to a thunderstorm. The teams are already having to play in less than ideal conditions, but the Mexican side has been particularly unfortunate.

🎙 "I think we played quite well, although we made some mistakes. However, we missed a huge opportunity. Now we need to turn the page and learn from this. There were periods when we were the dominant team, but in this tournament, you need to consistently show your best game. Our next opponent, Real Madrid, will test everything we're capable of," stated Pachuca's head coach Jaime Lozano.

❌ Center-back Andres Micolta will not play due to a knee injury sustained back in February.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Madrid's defense in the first round was far from ideal, and it's unlikely Xabi Alonso can make a dramatic improvement in this area overnight. Their upcoming opponent might not have a star-studded lineup, but they do have quality players, so a goal from the underdog wouldn't be a shock. Moreover, the Mexican club has scored in 14 of their last 15 away games before arriving in the USA. Our pick is both teams to score (yes).

🚩 Corner Prediction

Pachuca delivered an impressive 7 corners in their first-round match. It's quite likely they'll find themselves trailing for much of the game again, so we suggest betting on over 2.5 corners for the nominal visitors. Notably, in 18 of their last 19 matches, the Mexican side's players have approached the corner flag at least four times.

Real Madrid left a bitter taste with their performance in the first round, making it hard to expect a dominant display from Los Blancos this time around. However, they must overcome Pachuca to avoid the risk of failing to progress from the group stage, which would be a complete disaster for the "royal club." Such a scenario is something they cannot afford to let happen.

Based on the analysis above, a Real Madrid victory seems likely, though not a blowout—perhaps a scoreline like 3-1. Yet, given the numerous upsets already witnessed in the Club World Cup, we'll opt for a neutral bet: over 2.5 goals. This has been successful in 7 of Pachuca's last 8 away matches, and if we count their first-round game against Salzburg as an away match, it's actually hit in 8 out of 9.