The Key Statistics Behind a Crucial Club World Cup Clash: Real Madrid vs. Pachuca

It has been just over six months since Real Madrid faced off against Pachuca, but this time the stakes are undeniably different.

In December, Los Blancos emerged victorious with a convincing 3-0 scoreline to secure the Intercontinental Cup. This competition was a rebranded evolution of the Club World Cup, which was undergoing a transformation to the tournament currently in progress.

During that encounter, Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, and Vinicius Jr. all netted goals for Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, delivering a dominant performance against a Pachuca team that previously defeated Copa Libertadores champions Botafogo to reach the final.

Pachuca qualified for this summer’s showcasing event by clinching victory in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. They now have a new leader at the helm, Jaime Lozano, who has stepped in as interim manager following the exit of Guillermo Almada.

Lozano is acutely aware of the challenge he and his players face, particularly considering Pachuca’s history against European clubs. So far, the Liga MX team has failed to register a single win against European opposition.

Pachuca’s Struggles Against European Opponents

The sum of their experience comprises two draws and three defeats: a 0-0 stalemate with PSV Eindhoven and a 3-4 loss to Celta Vigo in 2017, followed by a 1-1 draw with Real Oviedo in 2023, the aforementioned 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid in late 2024, and most recently, a 2-1 loss to RB Salzburg in their CWC opener.

Coming into this match, Los Blancos are in exceptional form, having lost only once in their last six outings across all competitions—the late El Clasico against Barcelona. However, a draw with Al Hilal, which cost Real their flawless record against Saudi sides, will have left a bitter taste.

Real found themselves in a challenging position early on during that match, and they were saved by a linesman’s decision that ruled out an early goal. They eventually took the lead when Gonzalo Garcia mishit an attempt, which fortuitously found the net for the LaLiga giants.

Pachuca equalised shortly after via a penalty scored by Ruben Neves, but Real Madrid was awarded another penalty at the end of the game that could have clinched all three points for them.

A stellar save from Yassine Bounou kept Federico Valverde from scoring, marking a disappointing outing for Real Madrid, where Trent Alexander-Arnold had a performance full of ups and downs.

By the time he was substituted, the ex-Liverpool star had delivered more crosses (five) and made the most passes in the final third (16) than any other teammate, yet he also lost possession a staggering 12 times.

Arda Guler, meanwhile, caught the attention of Alonso with a solid second-half appearance, providing food for thought ahead of this upcoming match.

Salomon Rondon to spearhead Pachuca’s attack

Conversely, Pachuca have faltered in three out of their last six matches, recording two victories and one draw.

At the age of 35, Salomon Rondon—who boasts a wealth of experience in Europe—will spearhead the assault against a club that was crowned Champions League winners just over a year ago.

Facing an adept and agile Dean Huijsen, Rondon is set for a hefty challenge and will need to utilise all his resources to come out on top.

At least he enters this clash in good form, having scored 15 goals and assisted five more in the 2024/25 season—the highest contributions in Liga MX during that stretch.

With 102 shots, he eclipsed his teammates, demonstrating his eagerness to work hard in the attacking front to achieve results.

Rondon proved to be a nuisance for Salzburg on Wednesday night, nearly giving his side the lead twice within the first half-hour, but was thwarted both times by the Salzburg goalkeeper, Christian Zawieschitzky.

Fascinating individual match-ups may decide the outcome

After falling behind, Bryan Gonzalez played a vital role in bringing Pachuca back into contention. Although they ultimately lost following Karim Onisiwo’s 75th-minute strike, Pachuca displayed enough dogged determination to pose a threat to Real Madrid.

The goal marked Salzburg’s first shot of the second half, coming 33 minutes after Oscar Gloukh’s attempt in the 42nd minute, while Pachuca managed a total of six shots during that stretch.

The 77.5% possession that Pachuca maintained in the closing 15 minutes of the match illustrates a team unwilling to relent until the final whistle.

The upcoming match on Sunday promises to feature plenty of compelling individual battles.

The youthful defensive duo of Raul Asencio and Huijsen will have their plates full dealing with Rondon, while Agustin Palavecino must focus on curtailing Federico Valverde’s relentless energy and pass accuracy (96.2% against Al Hilal).

Trent may also find his attacking runs restricted, as both his rivals Gonzalez and former Chelsea star Kenedy are likely to charge forward as often as they can.

Kenedy had the most touches (six) of any Pachuca player in the Salzburg penalty area, while Gonzalez registered the joint second most shots in the match (three).

With both teams positioned as they are in the table, Xabi Alonso will undoubtedly be keen to see improvements across the board, particularly in ball possession and control, having only achieved a 52% share against Al Hilal.