Al Ahly vs Real Madrid summary: score, goals, highlights, FIFA Club World Cup
Al Ahly 1-4 Real Madrid: as it happened
Al Ahly sent home
The scoreline flattered Real Madrid and Al Ahly were competitive but will be disappointed with some of their defending and their failure to score when Madrid had a narrow lead.
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Real Madrid advance
It wasn't as comfortable as it looked. Al Ahly got back into the game in the second half and made it 2-1.
Modric then missed a penalty to put the game to bed and Al Ahly had a couple of chances themselves to rescue it but Rodrygo and Arribas scored late on to seal the win and help their side advance to Saturday's final, where they will face Al Hilal.
Real Madrid will play Al Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup final on Saturday.
FT: Al Ahly 1-4 Real Madrid
There's the whistle!
It's all over!
Real Madrid win 4-1
Rodrygo and Vinícius have been frightening at times, attacking from the left. They pose a constant threat to opponents. Their speed, dribbling, link-up play. Lethal.
Real Madrid are about to make another couple of changes.
And that should be that. Madrid lead 3-1!
RODRYGO!
What a goal that is!
Rodrygo gives it to Ceballos, who flicks it back and Rodrygo finishes superbly from close range.
There will be eight minutes added on!
Rodrygo squanders another chance!
Modric plays him through in the inside left channel.
The Brazil international tees himself up lovely but blazes over with the left foot.
It remains 2-1 to Madrid. That would have all but wrapped the game up.
El Shenawy guesses correctly, diving to his left to push the penalty away.
MODRIC MISSES!!!
Luka Modric has the ball in his hands...
PENALTY for REAL MADRID!
Vinícius goes over in the box but does he fall or is he fouled?
There's now a possible penalty for Madrid!
The referee is going to have a look at the monitor!
Madrid have a free-kick about 25 yards from goal. It's slightly to the right.
The ball falls to Rodrygo on the edge of the box but his effort is blocked.
Ceballos comes on
And there's the confirmation of that change.
Ceballos has been excellent recently; Kroos has been one of Madrid's players of the season.
Madrid change
OFF Kroos
ON Ceballos
Abdelkader picks it up on the left, before curling a cross from left to right. There is just too much on it and it goes out for a goal kick.
With 15 minutes to go, Los Blancos have a narrow 2-1 lead. Al Ahly are still in this game. It's far from over.
Abdelkader fouls Nacho, who is rolling around in pain. It's a free out to Madrid.
Valverde goes on a surging run but is stopped by some good defending on the edge of the area.
Remember, the winner tonight will play Al Hilal in the final.
The Saudi club beat Brazilian side Flamengo last night to advance to the final.
Afsha!
What a chance!
He's all alone inside the box and shoots over the bar.
Al Ahly won't get a better opportunity than that to equalise.
He sends Lunin the wrong way, slotting it into the bottom left corner.
It's game on!
Camavinga fouls El Shahat and this is a huge chance!
PENALTY TO AL AHLY!!
Al Ahly go up the other end and win a corner. Modric heads it away this time.
There won't be a penalty and Modric swings the corner in from the left. Al Ahly are able to clear.
There a VAR check for a Madrid penalty here!
Madrid are looking quite comfortable now, enjoying themselves on the ball, and lead 2-0.
Sherif goes on the counter-attack goes but Alaba makes it difficult for him to finish in front of Lunin.
Valverde goal!
Valverde takes advantage of a rebound from El Shenawy from a Rodrygo shot to score the second goal. He slots it home with the keeper on the ground.
Vinícius goal
It was an excellent goal by the Brazilian. Madrid upped the ante and Rodrygo saw his shot prior to the goal come back off the post but they kept knocking on the door and Vinícius pounced on the loose ball to dink home the opener.
Real Madrid lead at half-time
Al Ahly will be furious with how they gave the goal away but are still in the game.
HT: Al Ahly 0-1 Real Madrid
And there's the whistle for half-time!
There will be one minute added on!
It's disastrous defending from Al Ahly. Metwalli swipes at it and Vinícius robs it before dinking the ball over El Shenawy to make it 1-0. It's an exquisite finish.
Real Madrid work the triangles well on the right side of the pitch, inside Al Ahly's half. They look for a way through but can't find it on this occasion.
Tchouaméni clips a ball over the top to Valverde. The Uruguayan lets it come over his shoulder and he strikes the volley first time. It's one of the toughest techniques but he hits it well and hits the target. El Shenawy is positioned well to save it.
Alaba goes long to Vinícius, who is offside.
The game has totally opened up after some early Madrid domination.
Al Ahly go up the other end and test Lunin.
El Shahat beats Camavinga, gets to the byline, and buries it at the near post but Lunin makes a super stop.
What a game it is now! End to end madness.
Carlo Ancelotti will be wondering what his side have to do to break the deadlock.
Huge chance!
Rodrygo hits the post!
Madrid are getting so much joy down the left now.
Rodrygo dinks it over El Shenawy from close range but it comes off the post and it remains goalless in Rabat.
Vinícius!
Rodrygo slips his compatriot in on the left but El Shenawy comes out to make himself big and Vini can only put it wide.
Al Ahly win a corner on the left. It's played short and eventually makes it's way to Abdel Monem. He's right in front of Lunin but can't keep his header down. It's a great chance for Al Ahly to open the scoring.
Match stat:
Real Madrid have had 58% possession so far.
RODRYGO!
Nacho reads it perfectly, plays in Valverde, who then plays in Rodrgo. It's fired at the Brazilian and his first-time effort goes wide of the near post. 0-0
Camavinga is at left-back in place of the injured Mendy. He offers Madrid so much going forward and is also strong defensively.
SHERIF!
It's the first chance for Al Ahly.
Sherif is played through but fires his left-footed shot wide.
Vinícius and Rodrygo link up well on the left and make their way into the box.
Metwalli slides to tackle Rodrygo and the ball goes out for a corner.
Rudiger heads the corner down the middle and it's an easy catch for El Shenawy.
Kroos curls the free in from the left. It's too high and straight into the hands of El Shenawy.
It's all Madrid in terms of possession but Al Ahly are looking well organised.
Rodrygo is fouled and Los Blancos have a free-kick.
Rodrygo cuts in from the left, going on a mazy run, but Metwalli comes across to win the ball back.
Out of possession, Al Ahly are set up in a 4-4-2. Madrid have been unable to break through so far.
Lunin is starting in goal for Los Blancos tonight, with Courtois out injured. It's a makeshift team for Ancelotti.
Al Ahly are looking to soak up the pressure and hit Madrid on the break. 0-0
In the absence of Benzema, Rodrygo is playing centrally, with Vinícius and Valverde on either side.
The sides tonight are playing for a place in the final, where they will face Al Hilal, who beat Flamengo last night.
Nacho enters the box from the right and cuts it back to Valverde but Hany reads it brilliantly and Al Ahly clear.
Real Madrid lost 1-0 to Mallorca on Sunday and will be hoping to bounce back tonight after some recent criticism.
Al Ahly are playing from left to right in this first half.
And we're underway in Rabat!
There will be a minute's silence in memory of those who have lost their lives in the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
Nacho captains Real Madrid tonight!
The players are out on the pitch!
We're just minutes away now!
Real Madrid XI
Rodrygo will lead the line in place of the injured Karim Benzema.
- goalkeeper
- 13Andriy Lunin
- defenders
- 6Nacho
- 22Rüdiger
- 12Camavinga
- 4Alaba
- midfielders
- 18Aurelien Tchouameni
- 10Modric
- 8Kroos
- forwards
- 15Federico Valverde
- 20Vinicius Junior
- 21Rodrygo
- substitutes
- CoachCarlo Ancelottis
- 33Sergio Arribas
- 2Dani Carvajal
- 31Mario Martín
- 11Marco Asensio
- 24Mariano
- 5Jesús Vallejo
- 19Dani Ceballos
- 16Álvaro Odriozola
- 26Luis López
- 30Lucas Cañizares
Which club has won the most FIFA Club World Cups?
Real Madrid are the only team involved this year who have previously won the FIFA Club World Cup and they hold the record for most victories in the competition, although that’s a recent phenomenon, despite the fact that they’ve not won it for five years.
The reigning European Champions lifted the trophy four times in five years between 2014 and 2018, with their last two triumphs seeing them leapfrog three-time winners Barcelona into top spot.
Brazilian club Corinthians and Bayern Munich are next on two wins, with seven clubs (Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Milan, Inter, São Paolo and Internacional of Brazil) having won it once.
Clubs from which country have won the FIFA Club World Cup most often?
The seven titles won by Real Madrid and Barcelona puts Spain at the top of the FIFA Club World Cup tree.
Previous victors have only ever come from four other nations: Brazil (four), England (three), Italy and Germany (both two).
Morocco hosts Club World Cup
The Club World Cup last took place in Morocco in 2014, when Real Madrid beat San Lorenzo 2-0 to win the title.
This year’s venues:
- 65,000-seater Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier
- 52,000-seater Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat
Club World Cup history
AFC/Asian and CAF/African teams have reached two finals. Japanese side Kashima Antlers lost to Madrid in the 2016 final, while the Spaniards beat Al Ain of the UAE in 2018. Congolese club TP Mazembe and Raja Casablanca of Morocco are the two African finalists, losing to Inter and Bayern in 2010 and 2013 respectively.
OFC/Oceania is the only continent never to have provided a FIFA Club World Cup finalist, despite Auckland City holding the record for number of appearances. And that trend won’t be broken this year, with the New Zealanders having already been sent home by Al Ahly.
Real Madrid’s injury list
Eder Militao and Karim Benzema remain sidelined for Los Blancos. The game against Liverpool is close and risks want to be rightly kept to a minimum.
Lucas Vázquez, Ferland Mendy and Eden Hazard are all still out. Lucas is already doing strength training after suffering an ankle sprain in the Super Cup and his return is close.
The player who is not likely to return soon is Mendy, whose muscle injury in his left leg will keep him out for two more months.
Andriy Lunin starts in goal for Real Madrid against Al Ahly with Thibaut Courtois unavailable through injury.
The Belgian shot-stopper has undergone a scan that showed his injury is not serious, which would make him available should Madrid reach the final.
Another final at stake
Real Madrid know a thing or two about finals.
They lost their last one, when rivals Barcelona beat them in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.
Last night saw Al Hilal stun Flamengo to book their place in this year's Club World Cup final.
Can Madrid make it through or do we have another shock on the cards?
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Until just a few games ago, Madrid were a reliable machine in front of the opposition goal. An atomic clock that did not miss any opportunity with the goal. Ancelotti’s men scored in the first 29 official games of the season, but now they have failed to do so in two of the last three. No goals were scored against Real Sociedad and Mallorca is something that they will look to address, and quickly.
Real Madrid starting XI
Carlo Ancelotti has named the following team for Real Madrid's semi-final clash with Al Ahly.
Pre-match vibes
The Al Ahly players are preparing for their huge clash against European champions Real Madrid this evening.
Al Ahly vs Real Madrid: welcome!
Hello and welcome to AS USA's live coverage of this Club World Cup match between Al Ahly and Real Madrid.