The decisive battle at the club world cup! Real Madrid s new coach made its debut, a billion-dollar legion duel

At 3 a.m. on June 19, Miami Hard Rock Stadium will usher in the focus showdown of Group H of the Club World Cup. The collision between Real Madrid and Riyadh Crescent is not only the peak dialogue between European and Asian football, but also the coaching debut stage of the two new coaches, Xavi Alonso and Inzaghi Jr.

Real Madrid stepped onto the arena with a world-first lineup of 1.33 billion euros, while Riyadh Crescent showed a new height in Asian football with a net worth of 153 million euros. This green match worth nearly 1.5 billion euros is destined to be one of the most eye-catching opening matches of the first 32-team Club World Cup after the restructuring.

01 Historic collision

The smoke of Group H of the Club World Cup will be lit in the early morning of tomorrow. The showdown between Real Madrid and Riyadh Crescent can be regarded as the most eye-catching collision in the group stage. As the first Club World Cup to expand to the 32nd team, this game marks the beginning of a new era of FIFA club competitions.

The venue was chosen at Miami Hard Rock Stadium, a modern stadium located in Florida, USA, which has held many major international events. For the Riyadh Crescent from Saudi Arabia, the climate conditions similar to Florida may bring some home court advantages.

Historical confrontation records show that the two teams only met in the Club World Cup final on February 12, 2023. In that goal battle, Real Madrid won the cup with 5-3 with Riyadh Crescent, creating the biggest score difference in the history of the two sides' confrontation.

And tonight, the two teams will face each other again with a new look.

02 The Galaxy Battleship's new departure

After a rare "champion-free season", Real Madrid is in a period of major transformation. Meritorious coach Ancelotti left office, replaced by 43-year-old young coach Xavi Alonso, a tactical genius who once led Leverkusen to create an unbeaten miracle in the Bundesliga.

Real Madrid, after Alonso took over, showed a strong desire for the Club World Cup championship. The club acted quickly before the game, signed Bournemouth defender Heysen, and spent 10 million euros to introduce Liverpool midfielder Arnold in advance, which shows its determination to strengthen the defense.

What is more special to Real Madrid is that this event will become the farewell stage for midfielder Modric and Vasquez, the sharp sword of the wing, and the two meritorious veterans have confirmed that they will not renew their contracts.

forward core Mbappe scored 43 goals in his first season with Real Madrid, winning the La Liga Golden Boot and the European Golden Boot. The French superstar is regarded as the number one favorite in the Golden Boot of this year's Club World Cup. His speed and finishing ability will be a weapon to tear the opponent's defense.

03 The ambitions of Saudi giants

Riyadh Crescent entered this Club World Cup as the 2021 AFC Champions League champion. Although the Saudi League finished second this season, the team's lineup is the top in Asia.

The team made a major change of coaches during the offseason and signed Inzaghi, who had just led Inter Milan to the Champions League final with a sky-high contract with an annual salary of 26 million euros. The arrival of this famous Italian coach injected advanced European tactical concepts into this Saudi giant. In terms of lineup, Riyadh Crescent has a number of experienced stars in the five major European leagues, including Kulibali, Mitrovic, Ruben Neves, Malcolm. In particular, Mitrovic won the AFC Golden Boot with 18 goals, becoming the team's most reliable scoring point.

04 The key to tactical game and victory and loss

The core highlight of this showdown lies in the first show between the two tactical masters. Alonso said at the pre-match press conference: "They have not made their debut under the coaching of Inzaghi, so we don't know how they will perform."

Real Madrid is expected to continue its iconic "ball possession + quick counterattack" tactical system. The forward trident composed of Mbappe, Vinicius and Rodrigo has both speed and technology. The three of them jointly contributed 89 goals last season, which will become a weapon to tear the opponent's defense.

Riyadh Crescent may rely on the fulcrum of Mitrovic to create threats through rapid counterattack. However, the team has conceded as many as 1.5 goals per game in recent warm-up matches, and the stability of the defense line is worrying. It may face severe tests when facing Real Madrid's top attacking group.

05 Promotion path and event outlook

Group H includes Pachuca from Mexico and Red Bull from Salzburg in Austria. According to the schedule, the top two players in the group advanced to the knockout round.

It is worth noting that Red Bull Salzburg has surpassed traditional giants such as Arsenal to obtain the Club World Cup qualification with the long-term monopoly of the five major leagues in Europe due to the points accumulated by the UEFA Champions League for four consecutive years.

Pachuca, as the champion of Central and North America, has a forward line led by 35-year-old veteran Long Dong. The scorer who once played for Newcastle and Dalian Yifang has been in full swing recently. As the event is held in the United States, Pachuca from neighboring Mexico will enjoy a half-home advantage. The competition on the football field is always full of unknowns. Inzaghi Jr. proved his tactical talent in the Champions League final, and Riyadh Crescent scored 95 goals in the Saudi league this season also demonstrated the team's offensive strength.

When the referee blew the opening whistle, the two giants who had experienced a change of coaches wrote the first line of the new chapter on the Club World Cup stage.