Xabi Alonso’s journey as Real Madrid’s coach has not started as hoped. The former Bayer Leverkusen manager, called to take over from Carlo Ancelotti, only managed a 1-1 draw in his debut at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against Simone Inzaghi’s Al-Hilal. The point earned in the first match complicates the Blancos’ path to the knockout stage, although qualification is far from impossible. Now, Alonso’s team must secure a victory against Pachuca in the second matchday of Group H, trying to overtake Salzburg, who face the crucial clash against Al-Hilal. The game against the Saudi team was undoubtedly marked by the heavy absence in attack of Kylian Mbappé, sidelined due to a health issue that forced him to a hospital stay in the preceding days. Despite the French star’s absence, Real Madrid took the lead thanks to young Gonzalo Garcia, only to concede an equalizer at the 45th minute from a penalty scored by Portuguese Ruben Neves. In the final moments, precisely at 92’, Federico Valverde wasted a golden chance to give his new coach three points by having a penalty saved by Bono. Pachuca, on their side, started with a 2-1 defeat against Salzburg in a fairly balanced match until Onisiwo scored in the 76th minute. With zero points, the Mexicans are forced to seek a historic win against the Spanish powerhouse, who already defeated them convincingly 3-0 in the 2024 Club World Cup final last December. Given this is a crucial clash for both teams, we expect a closely fought game, with Real Madrid and Pachuca doing everything to secure three vital points for the continuation of the competition.

Real Madrid's Recent Form and Key Stats

Real Madrid opened their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a lackluster 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal, a result that leaves a bitter taste and complicates their path to the knockout phase. Despite this setback, this marks their fourth consecutive positive result after three straight wins in La Liga against Mallorca, Sevilla, and Real Sociedad.

Xabi Alonso, still searching for his first victory as Real Madrid coach, will likely have to do without star Kylian Mbappé for the second game in a row. The French forward, recently hospitalized due to illness, has been discharged but is not yet physically fit to play.

Gonzalo Garcia will once again lead the attack, while in defense, Dean Huijsen is confirmed to start at center-back alongside new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right flank. Both new signings are expected to bounce back after a disappointing performance against the Saudis.

Pachuca's Recent Form and Key Stats

Pachuca, losing 2-1 to Salzburg, have suffered their second consecutive official defeat. After a 2-0 loss in the Liga MX Clausura quarterfinal second leg against América, they confirm a difficult period, especially defensively.

Including a pre-tournament friendly against Al Ahly (ended 1-1 after regular time), the team coached by Jaime Lozano has conceded at least one goal in their last three matches, signaling defensive instability.

The Mexicans pin their hopes on the experience of Salomón Rondón: the 35-year-old Venezuelan striker remains the main offensive reference. After finishing the season with 16 goals overall, he will lead the attack in an attempt to break down the opponent’s defense and keep Pachuca’s ambitions alive.

Prediction Real Madrid vs Pachuca and Tactical Overview

On paper, Real Madrid is the clear favorite in the clash against Pachuca in the second matchday of Group C of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The Blancos cannot afford any slip-ups: another draw, or worse, a loss, would seriously jeopardize their qualification hopes ahead of the crucial final match against Salzburg.

The technical gap between the two teams is clear, but Real Madrid’s current phase brings some uncertainty. The managerial change from Carlo Ancelotti to Xabi Alonso inevitably caused a transition period. Added to this are the numerous absences affecting the Basque coach’s selection: besides Kylian Mbappé, unavailable after his recent hospital stay, Endrick, Rüdiger, Mendy, Militão, and Camavinga will also miss the match.

Despite the emergency, Real Madrid has all the cards to open the scoring early and put the game on a favorable path. In that case, the likelihood of the Spanish side scoring more than one goal is real. However, the center-back pairing of Asencio and new signing Huijsen does not guarantee absolute solidity, leaving room for Pachuca’s attackers to find at least one goal.

Adding interest to the match is the previous meeting last December: the two teams faced off in the 2024 Club World Cup final, with a decisive 3-0 victory for Real Madrid, thanks to goals by Rodrygo, Mbappé, and Vinícius Júnior.

Considering all these factors, the prediction for Real Madrid vs Pachuca anticipates an exciting and eventful match, with at least three goals overall.

• Real Madrid vs Pachuca prediction from the BetMines algorithm predicts a match with Over 2.5 goals at 61%.
  
  
• Real Madrid vs Pachuca prediction from the BetMines Algorithm predicts a match with Under 2.5 goals at 39%.

Probable Lineups Real Madrid vs Pachuca

REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Garcia, Vinicius. Coach: Xabi Alonso

PACHUCA (4-3-3): Moreno; Rodriguez, Bauermann, Pereira, Gonzalez; Montiel, Pedraza, Palavecino; Dominguez, Rondón, Kenedy. Coach: Jaime Lozano