Real Madrid create another record
Real Madrid add another trophy to their list of honours after a comfortable win over Al Ain. A game they were expected to win on paper but given recent form it did see the side having to adopt a solid mental approach to secure the title. This is the first time a club has won three back-to-back Club World Cup titles and by extension this is as a result of the Bernabeu outfit being the first club to win three consecutive Champions Leagues. Real Madrid have now won the Club World Cup (or Intercontinental as it was known) seven times. This was the key takeaway as opposed to the match itself with Madrid accustomed to playing finals against sides of with higher individual and collective quality.
One sided
That's not meant with any disrespect to Al Ain. They were at the tournament despite not being champions of any of the global confederations but did get to the final beating the champions from Oceanía, Africa and South America. Ultimately this competition showcases so clearly the gulf between rich sides from Europe over those from other parts. It's very difficult for any other side to take a real challenge to the European champion and even more-so when the opponent is a Real Madrid side used to managing a game of this nature. This explains how the game evolved and there was never really any doubt as to what the outcome would be and to be honest the final score could have even been more severe for the local side.
The Fab Four
The four goals for Madrid were scored by four different players and I'd go as far as to say that they're possibly the current favourites among the Bernabeu faithful. Recent Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric with his usual elegance slotting home with his trusted left foot. Young player Llorente, who at times really does remind me of Paco Gento hammering home on the half-volley. The third was netted by Sergio Ramos, the captain with a trademark driving header and the fourth by the promising Vinicius who saw his strike heavily aided by Nader to seal the final goal of the night. Solari has endeared himself to many and now needs to take this optimism forward where a tricky second stage of the season lies in wait.
