As the group stage of the Club World Cup approaches its conclusion, Real Madrid is set to square off against RB Salzburg on Thursday. They have yet to secure their last 16 position. A win will guarantee their advancement as group winners while a draw could also suffice depending on the outcome of Al-Hilal vs. Pachuca.
Unfortunately for Madrid, they will be without key player Kylian Mbappe, who is sidelined due to health issues. After being hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis, he returned to training but is advised to take a cautious approach given the current heat.
Xabi Alonso, the manager, stated, “I was glad to see him on the pitch but it’s the first time he has been running around, but he’s not fully recovered yet…”
Alonso mentioned that although Mbappe is targeting a return for the round of 16, his immediate availability remains uncertain.
With the team needing to build momentum ahead of knockout phases, younger striker Gonzalo Garcia is expected to play another key role after impressive performances in his initial matches.
Predicted Lineups
RB Salzburg: Christian Zawieschitzky, Stefan Lainer, Joane Gadou, Jacob Rasmussen, Frans Kratzig, Mads Bidstrup, Soumaila Diabate, Nene Dorgeles, Oscar Gloukh, Edmund Baidoo, Karim Onisiwo
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, Fran Garcia, Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior
Match Details
- Date: Thursday, June 26
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Live Stream: Watch on DAZN (for free)
- Odds: RB Salzburg +750; Draw +490; Real Madrid -370
Group H Scenarios
Real Madrid advances with a win or draw against Salzburg. Conversely, Salzburg can progress with a win or draw.
