FIFA Club World Cup
On Wednesday night, European champions Real Madrid and Egyptian giants Al Ahly go head-to-head in Morocco in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Al Ahly form guideMarcel Koller’s team made it to the last four of the competition by beating New Zealand outfit Auckland 3-0 in the first round before a more narrow 1-0 win over USA side Seattle Sounders in the last round. However, Al Ahly needed an 88th-minute winner from Mohamed Magdy to see off Seattle.
The win over Seattle means that Al Ahly are unbeaten in their last 23 games in all competitions, having also recorded five straight wins.
Al Ahly are highly experienced in the FIFA Club World Cup, as no team has played more than the Egyptian’s 20 matches in the competition.
Real Madrid form guideLos Blancos head into this game on the back of a 1-0 defeat at Mallorca in La Liga. The loss, coupled with a win for league leaders Barcelona, saw the Catalan giants break eight points clear of Carlo Ancelotti’s team. The defeat at Mallorca means that Real Madrid has now won just two of their previous five matches in La Liga.
Los Blancos can take a break from their La Liga struggles in the Club World Cup. Like their opponents, Real Madrid has a recent history in the competition. In fact, the Spanish giants have won the competition a record four times, which all came between 2014 and 2018.
Latest team newsAl Ahly is expected to be without long-term casualties Mostafa Shobeir, Karim Fouad and Akram Tawfik. Real Madrid could be without Ferland Mendy, Eden Hazard, Lucas Vazquez and Thibaut Courtois through injury. Karim Benzema and Eder Militao are also major fitness doubts.
What am I backing?Al Ahly is unlikely to be an easy opponent for Los Blancos. However, I believe Ancelotti’s team will have too much quality for their Egyptian opponents.
