Luis Torres
Dailysports's expert
On June 22, 2025, the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup in Group H will see Real Madrid take on Pachuca. The match kicks off at 21:00 Central European Time. Let’s break down the best bet for this clash.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid enter yet another Club World Cup as five-time tournament champions. The “Merengues” last lifted the trophy in 2022, defeating Saudi side Al Hilal in the final. Interestingly, Madrid kicked off this year’s campaign against Al Hilal, settling for a 1-1 draw. They had a chance to snatch victory, but Valverde missed a late penalty.
Last season, Los Blancos finished second in La Liga, trailing Barcelona by just four points, but they closed out the year with three straight wins. This summer, the club entered a new era, appointing Xabi Alonso—who made a name for himself at Bayer—as head coach to launch his own project.
The tournament has already seen debuts for two new defenders: Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold. While their first appearance wasn’t particularly memorable, they are just starting to adapt to the new environment. This tournament carries extra significance as it will be Luka Modric’s last in a Real shirt—the Croatian veteran is set to leave at season’s end.
It’s worth noting that Real’s next opponent, Pachuca, faced Madrid in the Intercontinental Cup final in December 2024. Madrid cruised to a 3-0 victory on that occasion. Now, they’ll be eager to reassert their dominance and clinch their first win of the tournament.
Pachuca
Unlike Real, Pachuca began their Club World Cup journey with a defeat. In the opening round, the Mexicans unexpectedly lost 1-2 to Salzburg, despite creating plenty of chances and arguably deserving at least a draw. That result puts their hopes of advancing from the group in jeopardy, especially with matches against Al Hilal and Real—the group’s two favorites—still to come.
Pachuca arrived at the tournament in less-than-ideal form, winless in their last four matches. Their most recent victory came back in the Mexican play-in, when they overcame Monterrey—incidentally, another Club World Cup participant. However, in the Liga MX quarterfinals, Pachuca were soundly beaten by Club América over two legs.
Pachuca do have Club World Cup experience—in 2017 they reached the semifinals, falling 0-1 to Brazilian side Gremio. The eventual champions that year? Real Madrid.
Now, Pachuca face a true test—both in their fight to stay alive in the group and in taking on the tournament’s favorite. They’ll need to step up across the board to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Probable lineups
- Real Madrid: Courtois, Garcia, Huijsen, Asensio, Alexander-Arnold, Valverde, Tchouaméni, Vinícius, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Gonzalo.
- Pachuca: Moreno, Rodriguez, Bauermann, Pereira, Gonzalez, Pedraza, Montiel, Dominguez, Kennedy, Palavecino, Rondón.
Key facts and head-to-head
- Real Madrid have won 3 of their last 4 matches.
- Real Madrid scored first in 5 of their last 6 games.
- Pachuca have failed to win 4 of their last 5 matches.
- The teams have met just once before—in the Intercontinental Cup final, when Real Madrid won 3-0.
Prediction: Real Madrid vs Pachuca
After being held to a draw in their opener, Real Madrid have no choice but to go for all three points in this second match if they want to seriously contend for a playoff spot. The “Merengues” are clearly stronger both in terms of squad and form, while Pachuca are struggling and fell to Salzburg in their first game. All signs point to Madrid, who need to hit championship gear. My pick for this match: Real Madrid to win with a -1.5 handicap at odds of 1.77.
