Real Madrid vs Al‑Hilal Ends 1–1 in Club World Cup Opener (June 18, 2025)

 Hard Rock Stadium, Miami │ 18 June 2025 Real Madrid and Al‑Hilal kicked off their 2025 Club World Cup journey with a thrilling 1–1 draw tonight. Here's a full breakdown:



Half Drama Gonzalo García stunned fans with a stunning debut goal in the 34th minute, converting a lightning-fast counterattack initiated by Rodrygo onefootball.com+6elpais.com+6theguardian.com+6theguardian.com+3sports.yahoo.com+3football-espana.net+3. Just seven minutes later, Al‑Hilal received a controversial penalty after Raúl Asencio fouled Marcos Leonardo in the box. Rúben Neves calmly slotted it home in the 41st minute, leveling the score before halftime onefootball.com+3elpais.com+3theguardian.com+3. 🔁 Second-Half Summary Real Madrid dominated possession and chances post-break. A dangerous Güler strike hit the bar moments after kickoff elpais.com+1azscore.com+1. Debutant Trent Alexander‑Arnold looked sharp in defence, proving a valuable addition football-espana.net+10theguardian.com+10thesun.co.uk+10. Both Courtois and Bono made impressive saves, but neither side managed to break the deadlock onefootball.com+4elpais.com+4theguardian.com+4. Late VAR drama sparked controversy over a possible late penalty, but no goal followed .

Key Stats (ESPN) MetricReal MadridAl‑HilalPossession49.7%50.3%Shots on Target52Total Shots1313Saves1 (Courtois)4 (Bono)Yellow Cards10sports.yahoo.com+13espn.com+13football-espana.net+13 🔍 Tactical Insights & Match Impact Xabi Alonso's tactical adjustments at halftime paid off in control and creativity azscore.com+12elpais.com+12besoccer.com+12. Al‑Hilal, coached by Simone Inzaghi, used disciplined defence and effective counters en.wikipedia.org+9theguardian.com+9independent.co.uk+9. Alexander‑Arnold’s debut was a key talking point—a fresh face added to Madrid’s stellar squad thesun.co.uk+1independent.co.uk+1. 🎯 What’s Next? This draw sets up a fascinating group stage, where both teams will push for top spot. Real Madrid now eyes a bounce-back in their next fixture, while Al‑Hilal will lean on their defensive resilience and mental strength



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