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Real Madrid successfully defended their FIFA Club World Cup crown against Al Ain CF, winning by a comfortable three-goal margin at the Zayed Sport City Stadium.
Los Blancos won the title for the third time in as many years, becoming the first club in the history of the competition to do so.
Santiago Solari won his first trophy since replacing Julen Lopetegui at the Real Madrid hot seat, naming an unchanged eleven from the victory against Kashim Antlers earlier this week.
Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric opened the scoring for the holders with a neat finish from outside the box shortly after captain Sergio Ramos cleared a goal off the line for the hosts.
The hosts did show a great effort in trying to hold off Madrid's wave after wave of attack, and even caused some troubles of their own, having a shot on target and several other efforts that went awry.
The second half started well for the hosts, who looked to break with speed down the flanks, but failed to do so as Ramos and Varane were equal to almost every challenge put in front of them.
Solari's favourite Marcos Llorente scored an absolute screamer at the hour mark, as Al Ain failed to clear off a corner, the ball dropping outside the box at the onrushing Spaniard's feet, who made no mistake burying his thunderous strike in the bottom left corner.
Madrid brought on Ceballos for Kroos, who added some fresh legs and looked dangerous for his brief 20+ minute cameo.
The home side also brought on Yahia Nader, who was unfortunate enough to be the last person to score on the night, but unfortunately at his own end.
Ramos scored a trademark header at the 79th minute, jumping above everyone else off a perfect Luka Modric cross and thumping the ball in the far corner, giving Madrid a three-goal advantage.
It wasn't to last though, as Courtois failed to keep another clean sheet through no fault of his own, as terrible marking at a set piece allowed Shiotani rise above meek defending to head the ball in the back of the net.
Madrid restored their three-goal advantage at the 90th-minute mark, as substitute Vinicius Jr. carved open Al Ain's defence, and his shot deflected off Nader and found the back of the net. Here are the talking points from the conquest.
#1 Solari deserves more respect
There's been a lot of speculation about the Argentinian's longevity as the Blancos' head coach, especially since Jose Mourinho received the sack at Old Trafford after the defeat at Anfield to rivals Liverpool.
There have been several reports linking the Portuguese coach back to the managerial post at the Bernebau, but Solari has done more than just steady a sinking ship, winning 11 of his 13 games in charge.
He deserves to not have such speculation around about his job security, and with a few new signings next summer, he could really make Madrid a team that can successfully challenge on all fronts again.
With the horrible start to the season in the league that they had, Madrid are still just five points behind leaders Barcelona, a deficit that could be overtaken over the course of the season.
#2 Casemiro has lost his spot and it's not his fault
Marcos Llorente is a guy I've been rooting for since his Alaves days. As a Real fan, he's the type of player you'd love to succeed at Los Blancos.
His entire family has represented Real Madrid, and he's the nephew of Blancos legend Paco Gento. He's been part of the academy all his life, and at the ripe age of 23, he's finally starting to establish himself as a regular for his club.
He started his eighth consecutive game for Madrid and rounded off a wonderful performance in the final with a rasping half-volley from the edge of the area, displaying a less revered side of his game, his knack for being at the right place at the right time.
Before Solari's arrival, there were talks of him moving out on a preliminary loan to Alaves, who'd then have the chance to buy him for a paltry sum.
Since the former Castilla coach's arrival, his Madrid career has gotten a new lease of life (Casemrio's injury certainly helped too) and he is now an indispensable part of the Madrid squad.
Casemiro has been pivotal for Real in the past few glory-laden years, being a crucial cog at the base of one of the World's best midfield.
But his injury was taken full advantage of by a youngster waiting in the wings, and the Brazilian surely isn't a shoe-in to start every time he's fit now, as Llorente has proven himself more than capable of doing a similar(some may say even better) job than the Brazilian enforcer.
#3 Real's season could really kick on
Real Madrid faced a grim start of the season, facing an all-time low under Julen Lopetegui, not being able to score for eight hours, and it all reached it's epitome when Barcelona whipped the Champions League holders 5-1 at the Camp Nou in October.
Since then Madrid has changed coaches, and despite looking vulnerable against teams with a high-pressure and counter system, they have won 11 of their 13 games since then, although the two losses were absolutely crushing, to say the least.
There have been a lot more positives than negatives though, as several youngsters have been handed more prominent roles, and hierarchies in the squad have been challenged, causing the players to snap out of their complacency and really perform at a better level than what they showed at the start of the season.
This conquest tonight could really help the Blancos push on for the remaining season, going into the winter break with a good head of steam.
#4 Defensive reinforcements must be considered in the summer
Jesus Vallejo has been one of the most disappointing signings in Real Madrid's recent history, not being able to even begin to close the void left by Pepe and his No. 3 shirt in the squad.
Barely even being fit enough to establish himself in the rotation scheme, let alone the starting XI for the Blancos. He came in with lofty expectations after being one of the best defenders in Bundesliga for Niko Kovac's Eintracht Frankfurt, where he spent a season on loan.
Real must purchase at-least one central defensive player in the summer, someone who can provide both cover and competition for Varane and Ramos.
Especially the captain, who must be rested for smaller games in order to have enough gas in the tank for the big games, where his invaluable experience proves to be a difference maker more often than not.
