Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said superstar striker Kylian Mbappe is "better" ahead of the Club World Cup quarter-final clash against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, but would not confirm if the Frenchman will start.
It was an impressive display from Xabi Alonso's Madrid side and adding to a positive day, Kylian Mbappe made his return from illness, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for his first appearance of the tournament.
From Inter Miami's Lionel Messi facing former side Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid meeting Juventus and Chelsea taking on Benfica, here is how the last 16 of the Club World Cup have shaped up:
The Brazil star opened the scoring after a superb defence-splitting pass by Jude Bellingham on 40 minutes and then set up Federico Valverde for the all-important second goal in first-half stoppage time.
Kylian Mbappe has accused his former club Paris Saint-Germain of moral harassment in a legal filing, the Paris prosecutor's office told AFP on Thursday as it confirmed an investigation had been opened.
New Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso warned his team's stars including Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday that they must all pitch in defensively.
Kylian Mbappe returned to training on Wednesday after missing Real Madrid's first two matches at the Club World Cup in the United States due to illness, the Spanish giants confirmed to AFP.
Rudiger was visibly angered after an exchange of words with Pachuca's Gustavo Cabral after the final whistle and spoke to Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti Abel.
The result leaves Madrid, under new head coach Xabi Alonso, on top of Group H with four points while Pachuca are eliminated after two defeats.
Aurelien Tchouameni dropped out of Real Madrid's squad to face Las Palmas in La Liga on Sunday "due to discomfort in his left leg", said the Spanish champions in a statement.
The former Paris Saint-Germain superstar struggled to find his top level after completing his dream move last summer but now has 16 goals in 29 games across all competitions.
Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga has been sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered during the club's 5-2 Copa del Rey win over Celta Viga, the club said Friday.
As the game looked destined for a penalty shootout, 18-year-old substitute Endrick worked his magic to give the lead back to the home side with a sharp swivel and shot from the edge of the box in the 108th minute.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti on Wednesday demanded a rapid reaction from his team after their capitulation against rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Alejandro Balde were all on target before halftime, after French forward Kylian Mbappe put Real in front in the fifth minute. Raphinha grabbed another in the second half while Rodrygo scored for Real.
Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in response before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the second half.
LaLiga leaders Real recovered from that setback and are on a five-match winning streak ahead of defending the Super Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but coach Carlo Ancelotti is cautious.
Last season, around this time, there was a surprise package in Girona in the top three of LaLiga. However, a year later, the Spanish league has returned to the status quo, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid -- the three giants of Spain -- occupying the top three spots on the table at the end of 2024.
Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo scored second-half goals to help Real to a 3-0 win over Mallorca after Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the other last-four clash.
