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Real Madrid beat Al Ahly 4-1 in their semi-final clash in the Club World Cup on Wednesday, February 9.
Before the game kicked off, the stadium fell into a moment of silence in solidarity with the victims of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Madrid took charge of the game with their possession. They played with high intensity, applied pressure to Al Ahly, and gave them little time to get comfortable on the ball. Despite controlling the proceedings, Real Madrid couldn't pose a significant threat to Al Ahly's goal for much of the first half, with the Egyptians holding on.
Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior had a number of chances together in the first half. However, they put their chances just wide. Most notably, Rodrygo had a run-through on goal, but his chip shot hit the post and did not go in.
The match remained highly competitive, with both teams putting in a lot of effort and creating opportunities. Al Ahly's El Shahat caused trouble for Real Madrid, dribbling past defenders and forcing a smart save from Lunin.
As the first half came to a close, Real Madrid took on a more patient approach, working their possession from the back.
Their chance eventually came just before the first half and Vinicius capitalized on an error to chip the ball beautifully into the goal and give Madrid the lead.
Real Madrid score three more to secure close win over Al Ahly
The Egyptians immediately went on the back burner as Federico Valverde scored the second goal for Real Madrid right at the start of the second half. Los Blancos were casually making progress towards the Club World Cup final. However, their lead was threatened when Al Ahly scored from the penalty spot.
El Shahat was brought down by Eduardo Camavinga in the box and the referee pointed straight to the spot, giving Al Ahly a potential lifeline. Ali Maaloul scored the penalty with composure, sending the ball to his left and Lunin in the opposite direction.
The goal sparked Al Ahly back into life as they began pressing and harassing Real Madrid's players. The temperature among the supporters in the stadium also increased. There were some signs of nervous moments for Madrid as they struggled to maintain possession.
However, it would be a hopeless affair for the Egyptians, as their intensified play did little to help them against the strength of the Spaniards. Late in the game, Los Blancos turned things around and won a penalty after a VAR check, but Luka Modric missed from the spot.
It didn't matter as Rodrygo added his name to the scoresheet for Madrid's third, while six minutes into injury time, Sergio Arribas added the fourth. Here is how Twitter erupted, following Madrid's win over Al Ahly:
