Three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Pachuca | Intercontinental Cup Final

The FIFA Club World Cup, as it was known till last season, has been rebranded into the FIFA Intercontinental Cup starting this year as a result of the new competition that will be held at the end of the season under the old name.

As the reigning European Champions, Real Madrid are the representatives of Europe in the event and even earned a direct spot in the final through their seeding.

Five other teams battled it out over three rounds to decide who would face Real Madrid in the finale, and it was Mexican side Pachuca who made it through after a penalty shootout win over Al-Ahly.

Despite qualifying for the final of the intercontinental event, the Mexicans have been far from convincing in 2024 and finished in 16th place out of 18 teams in the Liga MX.

Los Blancos will thus fancy their chances at Lusail Stadium tomorrow against the North American representatives.

Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Pachuca.

Title in sight

Not many clubs get the chance to win trophies in the opening half of the season, for the right to participate in such events is often earned only by performing at the highest level in the previous campaign.

As a result of their stunning run in Europe last season, Real Madrid merited the chance to play the UEFA Super Cup in their first official game of the season and went on to win the title.

Now, the same success of last season presents them with a chance to take home a second title in what is a massive occasion for Los Blancos.

As the reigning European Champions, Real Madrid were seeded directly into the finals of the Intercontinental Cup and needed to win just one match to take home the trophy tomorrow.

The team’s start to the new campaign has not been as fruitful as the side would have liked. Silverware at this point can go a long way in reassuring the dressing room that they are on the right path and keep the spirits high.

As the overwhelming favourites, news of a Real Madrid win at Lusail Stadium may not go viral as a massive headline but will do a world of good for the players. A defeat, meanwhile, will go down as embarrassing news on the front page.

There is thus little margin for error as the only acceptable result tomorrow will be for Real Madrid to lift the trophy.

A big game for Mbappe

Given the chance to prove his worth in his natural position earlier this month, Kylian Mbappe wasted the opportunity and dropped forgettable displays.

The Frenchman then saw himself injured just after scoring against Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League and thus missed the team’s draw against Rayo Vallecano.

Despite initially not being expected to return to complete fitness for the game against Pachuca, Mbappe has declared himself fit and conveyed to doctors today that he can start tomorrow.

The final decision over him starting will depend on his participation and fitness in the team’s final training session today but Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that there is a chance he can feature tomorrow.

In either case, the Intercontinental Cup final is massive for Mbappe who stands a chance to win his second trophy with Real Madrid despite a slow start to the season.

The player has been far from his best in recent months and the feel of silverware may be what he needs to discover his confidence again.

Moreover, he has always been a player to shine in the big games and the final may awaken the beast inside him just as he scored in the UEFA Super Cup earlier this year.

From a fitness, confidence and silverware standpoint, tomorrow’s clash means a lot to Kylian Mbape. In many ways, it can be what makes or breaks his mental resilience.

Ancelotti eyes history

Carlo Ancelotti will go down in history as one of the greatest ever managers in Real Madrid history and his trophy cabinet at the club testifies the same.

Over his two stints at the Spanish club, the Italian tactician has won it all from the league to the cup, the Spanish Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

In total, Ancelotti has won 14 titles at Real Madrid and is tied with Miguel Munoz as the joint most-decorated manager in the history of the club.

A trophy tomorrow will take his tally to 15, cementing his legacy and place in the history books.

The season has not been easy for Ancelotti by any measure thus far, especially with the constant need to switch up the team owing to injuries and accommodate the new profiles to extract the maximum.

Los Blancos’ performance in recent months, moreover, has upped the pressure on the coach and even brought him dangerously close to being sacked.

Winning a trophy and cementing his greatness at this point, thus, will be massive for Ancelotti as it will help him stamp his authority as one of the greatest ever.

Further, it will only motivate him and the team to push the gap and build on it as the season progresses.