Real Madrid proclaimed itself champion of its fourth Intercontinental Cup on Wednesday by 3-0 beating the Mexican Pachuca in Doha, thanks to the goals of Frenchman Kylian Mbappe and Brazilians Rodrygo and Vinicius.
The team thus closed a spectacular 2024 year, with five titles. Before this success in Qatar, he had won the Spanish League and the European Champions League, in addition to the Super Cups of Spain and Europe.
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Mbappe, who reappeared after a slight muscle injury, took advantage in the 37th minute of a pass from Brazilian Vinicius, who haggled goalkeeper Carlos Moreno, to top himself to snatch and score. It was the first shot between the three sticks of the merengue ensemble.
The white team expanded the advantage with another goal by Rodrygo, who first sucked with the shot to break his marks and make enough hole to take off a finish from the balcony of the area, overcoming Moreno’s stretch in the 53rd minute.
For a few minutes, the man was in doubt after Venezuelan collegiate Jesus Valenzuela was called to review a possible out-of-player of Jude Bellingham.
However, the referee appreciated that the Englishman did not interfere in the play and went up the goal to the score.
Five minutes later, Belgian archer Thibaut Courtois had to repel with his hand a dangerous ball, which Solomon Rondon could have pushed into the net.
Fifteen titles with the Royal
Mbappe, who made a hat trick in the final of the 2022 World Cup that he lost to Lionel Messi’s Argentina in that same stadium in Lusail, left the pitch at 62 by decision of Italian technician Carlo Ancelotti, who lifted his 15th fifth title to the Madrid club, one more than the mythical Miguel Munoz.
I’m very happy, very happy. It’s a success. There are 15 titles on the Madrid bench. More than anyone. More than Miguel Munoz and his 14. History of the white team. Now with more golden letters yet, Ancelotti said.
The Mexicans did not mumble despite the negative result and continued to attack. In 67, the Belgian Real Madrid goalkeeper again rejected a distant pitch from Rondon.
The Venezuelan footballer, who was the most active in his team’s attack, no longer a center, but the ball went near the crossbar.
When it seemed that the pupils of Uruguayan Guillermo Almada had taken the initiative, Ousama Idrissi knocked Lucas Vazquez into the area, a penalty that the referee checked through the VAR.
Vinicius was in charge of transforming the maximum penalty in 84 with a focused but powerful shot that Moreno came to play unsuccessfully.
The newly named best player of the year by FIFA had a new opportunity to score, while Angel Mena came to score head-to-head before the ninety-minute match, but his goal was overturned as he was out of the game.
Real Madrid have lost only one of their last 20 international finals. Specifically, in the 2018 European Super Cup against Atletico de Madrid (4-2).
Mbappe has scored eight goals in the final seven he has played, while Rodrygo has done the same four times in his last five finals with Real Madrid in all competitions, after scoring none in the previous 6 finals.
The Pachuca technician acknowledged that they paid for the failures. “We had our chances but could not put it on,” said Almada, who influenced his men to make a spectacular effort.
A few things to highlight. Until the 40th minute they had hardly any chances, until the goal they made us. We had ours, too. Tiredness has passed bill, from the three games and of great intensity. Proud of this group of players, Rondon said after the defeat.
