Rabat, Feb. 9 (BNA): Real Madrid secured their place in the Club World Cup final with a 4-1 victory over Al-Ahly of Egypt, surviving their quest for a record eighth world title.
Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, Rodrigo and Sergio Arribas scored for the Spanish national team, which will play against Al Hilal in Saturday’s final. The Saudi national team defeated Brazilian club Flamengo, 3-2, on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
Real Madrid have won the world club title a record seven times, including three times when the competition was called the Intercontinental Cup. Real Madrid is aiming for its first world title since 2018.
Ali Maaloul scored the only goal for Al-Ahly, as his team was already trailing 2-0 in the second half.
Vinicius opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, scoring his 50th goal in 202 games with Real Madrid.
Valverde boosted the lead at the start of the second half before Rodrygo and Arebas sealed the win in stoppage time. It was the 21-year-old’s first goal for the Real Madrid first team.
“We played it down and suffered a bit, but in the end we can deal with it,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. “We go into the final with great motivation.”
Real Madrid lost six injured players who did not travel to Morocco, including striker Karim Benzema, defender Eder Militao and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Ancelotti said that Benzema and Militao will join their teammates in the final, but Courtois, striker Eden Hazard and defenders Ferland Mendy and Lucas Vazquez will not be able to make it.
Real Madrid have been struggling lately, having won just two of their last seven matches in a spell that included defeat by rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.
Madrid won the Club World Cup in 2014 – also in Morocco – and from 2016-2018. Other titles came in 1960, 1998 and 2002 in the Intercontinental Cup.
The last time a non-European team won the Club World Cup was in 2012, when Brazilian Corinthians beat Chelsea 1-0 in Japan.