Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler scored late in the first half to help 10-man Real Madrid to a 3-1 victory over Pachuca in a Group H clash played amid sweltering conditions in Charlotte, North Carolina, the United States.
Federico Valverde’s sliding volley in the 70th minute sealed Xabi Alonso’s first victory as Madrid manager on Sunday.
The result puts his side’s FIFA Club World Cup campaign back on track after a dramatic 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in Wednesday’s opener, and despite Sunday’s early dismissal of defender Raul Asencio.
Real Madrid can clinch a place in the last 16 with a win or draw against RB Salzburg on Thursday in Philadelphia. Al Hilal play Salzburg later on Sunday in Washington, DC.
Thibault Courtois made 10 saves for the victors, though he could do little on Elias Montiel’s 80th-minute deflected effort that provided Pachuca with a consolation goal.
The Mexican side was beaten despite leading their Spanish foes by 25-8 in shots overall and 11-3 in efforts on target.
But as in Pachuca’s 2-1 Wednesday loss to Salzburg, it was their opponents who had more quality in their attacks.
Referee Ramon Abatti showed no hesitation in dismissing Asencio in the seventh minute for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity after the Madrid defender hauled down Salomon Rondon just beyond the penalty area.
But after absorbing pressure for most of the opening half-hour, the Spaniards raced out to a 2-0 lead in the half’s final 15 minutes.
In the 35th, Gonzalo Garcia’s quick flick-on freed Fran Garcia down the left. The latter then picked out the late run of Bellingham, who collected a square ball and slid his low finish past Carlos Moreno from 15 yards.
In the 43rd, it was Guler providing the finishing touch from inside the area on another flowing Madrid move, this time with Gonzalo Garcia providing the final square pass after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s first-touch cross.
Pachuca continued to apply pressure after the break, with Courtois forced to push Bryan Gonzalez’s early-second-half effort over the bar and John Kennedy’s 61st-minute strike from distance well clear of his left post.
But Valverde’s well-taken goal effectively killed the game and Real Madrid held on for an impressive win.
Bellingham, who was named the player of the match, hailed the spirit of his teammates after the game.
“We stayed together well [after the red card]. Obviously, Raul [Asencio] made a mistake. He is young and it will happen,” he told DAZN.
“It was impressive to see how the team came together and won the game.”
Alonso singled out Courtois for praise.
“We are so happy to have [Courtois] in goal,” he told DAZN after the match.
“He was so reliable, especially when we had one player less. We defended with a lot of sacrifice and waited for our chances.”
In the earlier Club World Cup game on Sunday, Kenan Yildiz scored two goals and had a hand in another as Juventus beat Wydad Casablanca 4-1 to close in on a place in the last 16.
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