Aleksandar Mitrovic has remained a prolific goalscorer since joining the Saudi Pro League, maintaining an impressive shot volume that makes him a constant threat. During the 24/25 season, he averaged 4.44 shots per game, with 2.10 of those hitting the target per 90. Against a Real Madrid defence potentially featuring two debutants due to injuries, Mitrovic’s ability to consistently work the keeper makes him a strong candidate to register at least one shot on target here.

The Serbian striker’s numbers over the past two seasons demonstrate his reliability in front of goal, having scored 28 times in 36 league appearances last campaign after netting 40 in 43 the season before. What stands out is not just his goal tally but his persistent ability to generate high quality chances, his shot on target average would trouble even the most organised defences.

His physical presence and sharp movement in the box ensure he remains a focal point in attack, and with Madrid’s backline potentially unsettled, he should have a few chances to trouble the Madrid keeper.

Ruben Neves committed 29 fouls across his 26 appearances in the Saudi Pro League during the 24/25 season (1.17 per 90). He should be regularly tested by a Real Madrid midfield which includes Jude Bellingham, who has shown real strength when it comes to winning fouls since he made the move to Madrid from Dortmund.

Bellingham won 64 fouls across his 31 appearances in La Liga during the 24/25 campaign (2.31 per 90), as well as averaging 2.06 fouls won per 90 across his 13 appearances in the Champions League, Bellingham is a strong option to back to win fouls whenever he takes to the field for Real Madrid, especially in a game where Los Blancos are favourites to take all three points and are expected to dominate the ball. 

Al-Hilal averaged 12.1 fouls committed per game across their 34 games in the Saudi Pro League during the 24/25 season. They should benefit from the tactical nous of Simone Inzaghi, but not without giving away a few fouls in their opening game at the Club World Cup.

Real Madrid should have the firepower to outscore Al-Hilal here. Both sides have new managers in the dugout, but Xabi Alonso has had slightly longer to work with his new side which should help Los Blancos maintain their edge over Al-Hilal, without even mentioning the quality gap that exists between these sides. 

Al-Hilal have a few players with experience in European leagues, but the bulk of their squad is still made up of players that will be playing on the biggest stage of their career so far, against a Real Madrid frontline that is stacked with talent including the likes of Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, who could both open their accounts at the Club World Cup here.

Al-Hilal may have a few positive moments, but Xabi Alonso’s side have the attacking pedigree to withstand any defensive slip ups to comfortably outscore their Saudi Pro League opponents.

Jude Bellingham faced his share of criticism as part of a disappointing Real Madrid side last season. Los Blancos fell short in all major competitions, exiting the Champions League at the quarter-final stage against Arsenal, while finishing as runners up to Barcelona in both La Liga and the Copa del Rey. These failures prompted a managerial change, with Xabi Alonso replacing Carlo Ancelotti.

Despite Real Madrid's collective struggles, Bellingham still delivered respectable numbers during the 24/25 campaign. The England international contributed to 27 goals across 52 appearances, though this marked a slight decline from his outstanding debut season, where he was involved in 36 goals in just 42 games. Alonso will be keen to rediscover that version of Bellingham.

A potential solution could be restoring Bellingham to a more advanced role, similar to the position that brought such success in 23/24. The challenge for Alonso will be finding the right balance between Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior - something Ancelotti struggled with last season when occasionally deploying Bellingham deeper.

Cancelo is one of the handful of players that Al-Hilal have within their ranks that have previously competed in Europe. Cancelo is best known for his time at Man City where he was incredibly effective in an advanced fullback role. He’ll have a tougher assignment than his usual Saudi Pro League tests up against Vinicius Jr here.

Cancelo picked up five yellow cards across his 22 appearances in the Saudi Pro League during the 24/25 season, he usually lines up as a right back but has played some games a bit higher up the pitch. With Inzaghi coming in, we could see Cancelo in a wingback role, as Inzaghi was a fan of wingbacks in his time as manager of Inter. 

Only Hassan Al Tambakti and Ruben Neves (6) picked up more cards than Joao Cancelo in the Al Hilal squad during the 24/25 season in the Saudi Pro League. Cancelo averaged 2.23 fouls committed per 90 across his 22 appearances in the league last term, he'll be up against Vinicius Jr here, who averaged 2.79 fouls won per 90 across his 30 appearances in La Liga last season. 

Real Madrid’s expected general dominance in this game should also lead to them notching plenty of corners. Xabi Alonso’s side should see the majority of the ball and have attacking options which should constantly pester the Al-Hilal backline, leading to the corner count rising for Los Blancos.

Real Madrid averaged 6.39 corners per game across their 38 matches in La Liga during the 24/25 season, no side in La Liga managed more corners per game than Los Blancos. The addition of Trent Alexander-Arnold makes Real Madrid even more of a threat from corners and set piece situations, with his pinpoint delivery sure to add to the 11 goals Real Madrid managed from set pieces during the 24/25 La Liga season. Madrid notched 11 corners against Sociedad on their final La Liga matchday and can hit the 6+ line here.