Real Madrid v Pachuca

Xabi Alonso will be hoping for an improved performance and result for Real Madrid as they take on Pachuca after failing to beat Saudi Pro League side, Al Hilal. Simone Inzaghi’s side will probably feel as though they should have won the game with the quality of chances they created but it showed that there is still plenty of work for Alonso to do with this Real Madrid side.

Pachuca will also be looking for their first win of the tournament after they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Salzburg in their opening game of the competition. The early results in this group have left it in quite an interesting position with anything other than a win for Real Madrid here putting them in quite a precarious position heading into the final group game.

⭐ Real Madrid v Pachuca Best Bets

Mbappe missed Real Madrid’s opening game of the tournament after being hospitalised for a stomach issue and is set to remain sidelined again here which gives another opportunity to 21-year-old Gonzalo Garcia, who was particularly bright in Real Madrid’s opening game of the tournament against Al Hilal. 

Garcia had six shots against Al Hilal, with four of those attempts finding the target. He scored with one of those efforts and ended the game with a personal xG of 1.29. Garcia had four of the seven shots on target that Real managed in the game and made up 1.29 of Real Madrid’s total xG of 2.64.

Garcia hasn’t really featured for Real Madrid before, so his performance against Al Hilal was really eye-catching. He should be able to build on that performance here, he will get a similar number of chances as he did in the opener with the quality that is around him to pick him out in the box. Garcia also played the full 90 minutes in the first game, which would indicate that Xabi Alonso trusts him, even with his general inexperience. 

👕 Real Madrid v Pachuca Predicted XI

🔍 Real Madrid v Pachuca Players to Watch

⚪ Vinicius Jr

Vinicius Jr will be eager to step up in the absence of Kylian Mbappe and get Real Madrid back on track after a lacklustre start to the tournament with their 1-1 draw against Al Hilal. Vinicius registered 36 goal contributions across his 53 appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid during the 24/25 season which was a return only bettered by Mbappe in the Real Madrid ranks during the most recent campaign. Vinicius scored against Pachuca in the most recent meeting between the sides which took place last year and saw Real Madrid come away 3-0 winners.

⚪ Thibaut Courtois

Xabi Alonso’s biggest challenge with this Real Madrid side is making them more secure at the back. It was far too easy for Al Hilal to find gaps in the Madrid backline and a better side would have further punished the lack of organisation at the back for Los Blancos.

Courtois was forced into making one save against Al Hilal but should have been tested more regularly, seeing as just two of the 13 attempts the Saudi Pro League side had found the target. Courtois was forced into making four saves when these sides met last year.

📂 Real Madrid v Pachuca Cheat Sheet

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💻 Real Madrid v Pachuca Form and Tactics

Xabi Alonso’s first game in charge of Real Madrid was a frustrating one for the former Bayer Leverkusen boss as Los Blancos struggled to find the right rhythm and defensive structure which were issues throughout the regular 24/25 season. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen looked a little uncomfortable on their debuts for the biggest club in the world, but you would expect them to grow into their roles.

Real Madrid were missing their top scorer in Kylian Mbappe, and the Frenchman is expected to miss out here again after being hospitalised with stomach issues. Garcia should continue to lead the line in his absence.The young striker was bright against Al Hilal and is worth keeping an eye on again here if Mbappe isn’t quite fit enough to make it into the starting 11.

Pachuca will be a little disappointed with their performance in their opening game of the competition against Salzburg. They did manage to score but didn’t make the most of the 17 shots they had in the game, with six of those efforts finding the target. They only conceded an xG of 0.91 in the game, so Salzburg were quite clinical, and Pachuca showed that they can still be a threat in this group, but will need a positive result here to stay in the conversation.

🏁 Real Madrid v Pachuca Ref Watch

• Referee: Ramón Abatti

• Stats are on per game basis and are taken from Abattis's games across this current career (10 total)

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* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.