A few minutes ago, a key match of the Club World Cup was played in Charlotte. Real Madrid arrived at the match against Pachuca with a clear mission: to win so its qualification for the next round of the tournament wouldn't become complicated, something it achieved with a great result.
The match was intense from the start, with both teams seeking victory. Real Madrid quickly received bad news, with Raúl Asencio being sent off before the first ten minutes had passed. On a counterattack, the Canary Islander brought down Rondón as he was heading alone toward Thibaut Courtois's goal.
Despite being one man down from the first ten minutes, Xabi Alonso's side were far superior on the field. With a final score of 3 goals to 1, the Whites now have four points after two matches... having the goal average in their favor thanks to goals from Bellingham, Güler, and Valverde.
Thibaut Courtois speaks out: Jab at Raúl Asencio
Speaking to the microphones of DAZN at halftime of the Real Madrid-Pachuca match, Thibaut Courtois didn't hold back. The Belgian goalkeeper clearly showed his anger in public over Raúl Asencio's second consecutive mistake. In the first match, he committed a silly penalty that led to Al-Hilal's equalizer, while against the Mexicans he was quickly sent off.
In this regard, Courtois's words were forceful: "It's two matches and it's the same mistake twice. We have to stay alert and not repeat it, even if they're minor mistakes. We're going to fight for Raúl. He knows it and there's no problem. We're going to win without him and when he returns, we'll win together."
Raúl Asencio: Out against Salzburg
After being sent off against Pachuca, the young Canary Island defender already knows he won't be available for the last match of the group stage. Asencio won't play against Salzburg, in a match that could be key for final qualification to the next round.
It's yet to be seen what Xabi Alonso will do. To replace him against Pachuca, he used Tchouameni in a new role, although in the second half he gave minutes to Rüdiger. The feelings with the German are positive after recovering from an injury, so he seems to be the favorite to start.
Beyond that, one thing is clear: another mistake by Raúl Asencio could've cost Real Madrid dearly. Against Pachuca, with one man down for almost the entire match. Not like this...