Real Madrid obtained this Wednesday its fourth Intercontinental Cup after defeating the CONCACAF champion, Pachuca (3-0), in the final. The Mexican team advanced to the decisive stage after surprising Botafogo from Brazil (0-3) and overcoming the African champion, Al-Ahly, in penalties. However, the 'tuzos' presented little opposition against a 'merengue' team that managed to strike at key moments of the match.
Carlo Ancelotti's team recovered Kylian Mbappé in time for the final and the Frenchman opened the scoring in the 37th minute, pushing into an empty net a pass from Vinicius Jr. after a great collective play by the whites. Before the 1-0, there had practically been no clear chances in either area. A possible penalty by Fede Valverde on Deossa in the 15', reviewed by the referees, had been the only notable action up to that moment.
Rodrygo sealed the match with a stunning goal at the start of the second half
Before the break, Mbappé was close to scoring his second of the night, with a long-range shot that went wide. Neither team made changes at halftime, and Pachuca started the second half more engaged. In the 50', a very dangerous shot from Deossa ended in a corner, after a deflection by Fran García. The shot had very bad intentions, with Courtois blocked.
A couple of minutes later, Madrid responded with its best weapon: the strike. Rodrygo took advantage of the passivity of the Mexican defense to, after several dribbles, unleash a powerful shot directly into the corner, impossible for goalkeeper Moreno. The VAR warned of a possible interference by Jude Bellingham, but the main referee Jesús Valenzuela considered that the Englishman, clearly offside, did not obstruct the view of the 'tuzo' goalkeeper.
Vinicius closed a comfortable thrashing for Madrid in Qatar
With more than half an hour to play, Pachuca pushed forward to seek a goal, while Madrid retreated looking to exploit the spaces left by the rival defense. Brian González tested Courtois with a cross shot and Salomón Rondón also came close to scoring with a long free kick, also cleared by the Belgian. Ancelotti substituted Mbappé and Camavinga in the 60'; then Rodrygo ten minutes later, while Rondón warned again with a header that hit the crossbar.
The match became more entertaining thanks to the posture of both teams, and in the 81', a clear foul by Idrissi on Lucas Vázquez inside the area ultimately sealed the match. The VAR alerted the infraction several seconds later, and finally, the main referee sanctioned the penalty. Vinicius took charge with a shot that almost stopped Moreno, but everything was already decided.
There was a 'merengue' celebration in Lusail, where a couple of years ago, Argentina celebrated with Leo Messi. The whites remain alone, with four trophies, as the top winners of the Intercontinental Cup, a trophy that was contested again two decades later after FIFA's decision to restructure the Club World Cup. Next Sunday, 'Carletto's' team will close 2024 against Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu.