Real Madrid lived up to expectations and easily won the Intercontinental Cup against Mexican side Pachuca in Doha, their second title of the season after the UEFA Super Cup victory against Atalanta in August. This marks their fourth Intercontinental title in history and their ninth overall if we include Club World Cup triumphs. Pachuca showed spirit but lacked experience, struggling once Real Madrid increased the intensity of the game.
In a half-filled Lusail stadium (with overwhelming support for Madrid), Ancelotti brought Mbappé back as a center forward and switched back to the 4-3-3 formation, with the Frenchman flanked by Vinícius and Rodrygo on the wings.
Change of system
Madrid returned to the 4-3-3 formation
Returning to three midfielders instead of four left Madrid with less fluidity, and the worst part was that it kept Bellingham, the most in-form player, away from the danger zones where he had recently been scoring goals in a streak reminiscent of his best form from last season.
The script of the game was very similar to many of the blanks of this course. Real Madrid returned to their old ways because during the first twenty minutes they did not show up. They came out half asleep as if they did not take the tournament or the opponent seriously, and were very dominated by Pachuca while Ancelotti looked desperate on the sideline and was loudly urging his players to wake up. In those circumstances, Real Madrid survived sheltered by the usual, a couple of good interventions by Courtois, who proved impassable for Pachuca.
The Mexicans weren't exactly a prodigy of imagination in their attacking game either. Rondón, their Venezuelan veteran center forward with a past at Málaga, was missing in action, and their biggest threat came from the attack on the flank by the Dutchman Idrissi, renowned in Spanish soccer for his time at Sevilla.
The first goal
Mbappé completes a great team play
A distant shot from Luis Rodríguez and a cross-shot from Idrissi were the most dangerous moments for Pachuca, who gradually began to slow down. Real Madrid started to control the ball, but struggled to play with clarity, especially because Camavinga, who was very active, had many distribution errors, and even Bellingham was off-target in some rather simple passes.
Real Madrid's dominance became very clear after the half-hour mark. They transitioned from long balls behind the defenders to a more possession-based style, although their strength is not exactly breaking down defenses that sit deep.
After a couple of feints by Vinícius and Mbappé, Real Madrid scored on their first shot on goal in the 37th minute, in a great team play, by far the most brilliant up to that point in the game. Bellingham opened up to Vinícius, who, in a display of power, shook off his marker and instead of shooting, he passed to Mbappé, who shot while falling and tipped the score in Real Madrid's favor.
The goal left Pachuca very shaken, and Real Madrid sought the second goal before halftime, but they also were not very sharp in their decisions near the box. The Mexican team was able to start the second half with a renewed spirit.
The second half
Rodrygo scored in a personal play
At the beginning of the second half, in the 53rd minute, Rodrygo scored after several skirmishes and a shot that curved and beat Carlos Moreno, although the play was reviewed in the VAR because Bellingham was crouched in the trajectory of the shot. The referee went to the monitor and validated the goal, deeming that the English player was not obstructing the goalkeeper's view.
If the first goal by Madrid was a blow to Pachuca, the second one provided a morale boost. While Ancelotti substituted Mbappé for Brahim and Camavinga for Ceballos, Pachuca pushed forward with courage to score a goal that would get them back into the match.
Rondón took a good shot that Courtois responded to even better, and Madrid only started to live off counterattacks. Modric came in for Rodrygo to control the game more because Pachuca continued to approach dangerously. Rondón headed high another good chance, but it was Madrid who had the clearest opportunities.
In the 81st minute, after a long review on the VAR monitor, the referee awarded a penalty for a foul by Idrissi on Lucas Vazquez. Vinícius didn't take it too well, but he scored. Real Madrid met their target without exerting themselves too much. Sevilla awaits on Sunday to close out the year.
