Real Madrid hold firm with 10 men to beat Pachuca; Juventus cruise past Wydad

NORTH CAROLINA: Ten-man Real Madrid overcame an early setback to secure a 3-1 win over Mexico’s Pachuca, with Jude Bellingham opening the scoring in a commanding performance despite being a player down, as per Sky Sports.

Xabi Alonso’s men were dealt a major blow just seven minutes into the match when Raul Asencio was sent off for a challenge on Salomon Rondon, the former Premier League forward known for his stints at West Brom, Newcastle, and Everton.

Despite being reduced to 10, Madrid remained disciplined and struck clinically on the counter. Bellingham broke the deadlock with a composed finish, setting the tone for the rest of the match.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, in only his second appearance for the Spanish club, was instrumental in the build-up to the second goal. The Englishman played a smart pass to Gonzalo Garcia, who laid it off for Arda Guler to double Madrid’s advantage.

Real Madrid 2⃣-0⃣ Pachuca

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Federico Valverde added a third, putting the result beyond doubt. Pachuca’s Elias Montiel managed a consolation goal late on via a deflected strike, but it wasn’t enough to keep their tournament hopes alive.

Madrid now look ahead to their final group stage fixture against Red Bull Salzburg on Friday, where a draw would likely secure their place in the next round.

In Group G, Juventus continued their dominant run with a 4-1 win over Wydad Casablanca. Rising star Kenan Yildiz was the standout performer, netting twice.

Yildiz’s sixth-minute effort took a deflection off Wydad defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil to give the Italians an early lead. The 19-year-old then fired a stunning strike into the top corner to make it 2-0 after just 16 minutes.

Wydad pulled one back through Thembinkosi Lorch, whose delightful chip briefly raised hopes for a comeback. The Moroccan side pressed for an equaliser but couldn’t break through a resilient Juventus defence.

Yildiz struck again with 20 minutes to go, and Dusan Vlahovic added a late penalty to seal Juve’s second straight convincing win after their 5-0 thrashing of Al Ain in the opening game.

Elsewhere, River Plate and Monterrey played out a goalless stalemate in Group E. (ANI)