February 11, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid secured their fifth Club World Cup title on Saturday, with a thrilling 5-3 victory over Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia.
Karim Benzema had the opportunity to open the scoring early in the match, but his effort was thwarted by his standing foot. Vinicius Junior, however, made no such mistake and converted a through-ball from Benzema to give Real Madrid the lead.
Federico Valverde added the second with a powerful volley, but Al Hilal fought back with a goal from Moussa Marega. Despite a few missed chances from Benzema, Real Madrid regained their two-goal lead when Benzema scored from a cross by Vinicius.
Valverde then scored his second of the match, and Vinicius added a fifth before Al Hilal scored two late goals through Luciano Vietto. Despite Al Hilal’s efforts, including introducing goal-merchant, Odion Ighalo in the 86th minute, Real Madrid held on to win the match and lift their fifth club World Cup trophy.
Real Madrid will return to La Liga action on Wednesday, with a home game against Elche, while Al Hilal will take on Al Feiha in the Saudi League.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
