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Pre-match review
In the race for a ticket to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16, two European representatives, Salzburg and Real Madrid, will face off in the final match of Group H, taking place at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow (Vietnam time) at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia.
Both teams have four points after two matches, and are aiming to top the table. Real Madrid are temporarily ahead thanks to a better goal difference.
Real Madrid started their Club World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia). However, the biggest challenge came in the second match when they were forced to play with one less man from the 7th minute when Raul Asencio was sent off for a foul that denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
In a pressured match, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois became the hero with 10 miraculous saves, keeping Real's goal steady.
Real Madrid's resilience was rewarded as goals from Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Federico Valverde secured a 3-1 win over Pachuca.
Speaking after the match, coach Xabi Alonso condemned the racist abuse directed at centre-back Antonio Rudiger, and affirmed that this victory could be an important boost for Real to advance further in the tournament.
Another win against Salzburg will help Los Blancos win Group H and a ticket to the round of 16.
As five-time FIFA Club World Cup winners, Real Madrid could still progress if they draw with Salzburg. However, if that happens and Al-Hilal take all three points against Pachuca, the Spanish side will have to cede top spot to the Saudi Arabian side.
It is also worth noting that since their only loss on penalties against Necaxa (Mexico) in the third-place match in 2000, Real Madrid have never lost within 90 minutes in any FIFA Club World Cup match.
Salzburg, on the other hand, are having a promising first FIFA Club World Cup campaign. They opened with a 2-1 win over Pachuca, but missed out on an early qualification spot after a goalless draw against Al-Hilal in Washington DC.
Despite having 4 points after two matches, not a bad result, coach Thomas Letsch still admitted that his players felt "disappointed" because they did not take advantage of the opportunity to rise to the top of the group.
As 17-time Austrian champions, Salzburg know that only a win over Real Madrid will guarantee their passage to the next round. However, even a draw or loss will leave them with a chance of progressing if Al-Hilal fail to overcome Pachuca.
Form, head-to-head record
Real Madrid are in good form, unbeaten in their last 5 matches, including 4 wins. Meanwhile, Salzburg are unbeaten in 4 matches and lost 1 match in their last 5 appearances.
However, the record against Spanish clubs does not favor Salzburg when they only won 5 out of 24 matches (drawn 4, lost 15).
The two teams have only met twice in the past, with Real Madrid winning both times. The first time was in 2019, when the Spanish Royal team beat Salzburg 1-0. The most recent time was in the Champions League qualifying round in early 2025, when Real Madrid showed their overall superiority with a resounding 5-1 victory.
Force information
Salzburg are without midfielder Takumu Kawamura, first-choice goalkeeper Alexander Schlager and winger Moussa Yeo due to injury. 18-year-old goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky, who made his first-team debut, is likely to continue as starter.
Midfielder Maurits Kjaergaard has returned after eight months out and could be brought in for the match. Oscar Gloukh is likely to return to the starting line-up, replacing Sota Kitano, who has just made his first start.
Real Madrid are without Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Eder Militao, Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy and Endrick due to injury. Raul Asencio is suspended following his red card against Pachuca.
Antonio Rudiger will almost certainly replace Asencio in central defence, partnering new signing Dean Huijsen. Trent Alexander-Arnold is likely to continue to be trusted at right-back.
Kylian Mbappe, who missed the first two games due to health reasons, has returned to training and could feature. If he does not recover in time, Gonzalo Garcia will continue to play as a striker.
Salzburg (4-2-2-2): Zawieschitzky; Lainer, Gadou, Ramussen, Kratzig; Bidstrup, Diabate; Nene, Gloukh; Onisiwo, Baidoo
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Fran Garcia; Guler, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Valverde, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr
Score prediction : Salzburg 1-3 Real Madrid
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Source: https://tienphong.vn/nhan-dinh-salzburg-vs-real-madrid-08h00-ngay-276-dang-cap-khac-biet-post1754741.tpo
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