Will Salzburg pull off a royal surprise coup?
On Thursday night, the preliminary round of the Club World Cup will come to an end with the final matchday in Group H. This promises to be an exciting and explosive affair, as three teams – RB Salzburg, Real Madrid and Saudi representatives Al Hilal – are battling it out for two spots in the round of 16. Only Pachuca has no chance of advancing. The Austrian runners-up even have their fate in their own hands. If RB Salzburg beat Real Madrid, Letsch’s team will even finish top of the group.
In the event of a draw at Lincoln Financial Field and a win for Al Hilal against Pachuca, all three opponents would be level on five points, meaning that the goal difference from the head-to-head matches would be used to decide who goes through. Curiously, if the prediction of a 2-2 draw or a higher-scoring draw in the European clash between RB Salzburg and Real Madrid proves correct, both teams would be guaranteed a place in the knockout stages.
According to a German-licensed betting provider, however, such a scenario seems rather unlikely, as the Royals, who made a much better impression in their second match despite being a man down than they did in their opener, are considered the clear favorites. While a sensational RBS treble is paying out at 10.00 at the top, the odds for a win for the Spanish runners-up are only 1.30 ahead of the match between RB Salzburg and Real Madrid.
RB Salzburg – Statistics & current form
Regardless of the outcome of the final group match against the Galacticos on Thursday night, one Salzburg player will emerge as the big winner of this tournament. We are talking about Christian Zawieschitzky, the 18-year-old goalkeeper who has impressed with some great performances in the absence of the injured Alexander Schlager. After conceding just one goal in two games and making numerous brilliant saves, the Austrian U21 national team goalkeeper, who played for the farm team from Liefering last season, now faces his baptism of fire against one of the best club teams in the world.
There will certainly be plenty of opportunities to prove himself again, especially as the “Red Bulls” conceded a lot in their first two games. Both Pachuca and Al Hilal could have beaten Salzburg if they had been a little more clinical in front of goal. Nevertheless, coach Thomas Letsch’s team has four points and is in a good position to book a place in the round of 16 before the final matchday.
In the Bet365 app, you can find odds of 2.20 for RB Salzburg to finish in one of the top two places in Group H ahead of the decisive group match against Real Madrid. In comparison, Al Hilal is given odds of 1.50, as the most popular bookmakers believe the Saudis will beat Pachuca and that Real Madrid will also win. In this “worst-case” scenario from a German-speaking perspective, the tournament would end on Friday for the former serial champions from the land of mountains!
Will Salzburg’s luck run out against the Royals?
Meanwhile, it could be an advantage for RBS that they don’t have to take the initiative against the towering favorites from the Spanish capital, but can instead focus primarily on defending and playing on the counter. Since the “Red Bulls” have strengths in counterattacks and their upcoming opponent will have to reshuffle their regular back four again, my RB Salzburg vs. Real Madrid prediction is that both teams will score. The maximum odds for this are 1.70 and can be played with the $20 Betano free bet, for example.
However, I don’t believe that the Wals-Siezenheim team, which is clearly inferior in terms of quality, will be able to trip up the Club World Cup title contenders. Even a draw would be a huge success for the Austrian runners-up in my opinion. The vulnerable-looking defense, which has already been discussed, is likely to be the main problem. No wonder, since the back four, including the goalkeeper, consist exclusively of new signings or youngsters who have little experience at this level. It is quite possible that this fact will come back to haunt them for the first time in this tournament on Friday night…
Predicted line-up:
Zawieschitzky; Lainer, Gadou, Rasmussen, Kratzig; Bidstrup, Diabate; Nene, Gloukh; Baidoo, Onisiwo
Real Madrid – Statistics & current form
Every coach in the world, except perhaps Friedhelm Funkel, wants time at a new club to be able to rehearse automatisms, implement their own playing philosophy in the minds of the professionals, and pursue continuous development. Xabi Alonso is one of those coaches with a clear style. He is now leading Real Madrid as their new messiah and is expected to achieve what Carlo Ancelotti has been unable to do in recent years: be successful!
Similar to Leverkusen, however, patience, training sessions, and time are needed at Real Madrid to build something sustainable and good. The first two matches at this Club World Cup have clearly demonstrated this.
In the 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in the opening match, there was still a lot to be desired. A lack of punch in attack, simple mistakes in defense, and, to make matters worse, a missed penalty just before the end ensured a disappointing draw. Against Pachuca, there was a clear improvement in performance, even though the Madrid side had to play with ten men from the seventh minute after Raul Asencio was sent off. Nevertheless, they came away with a 3-1 win, but once again exposed defensive weaknesses. That’s exactly why a bet on over 2.5 or even over 3.5 goals is an obvious choice.
Will Real Madrid defy the many absences?
The personnel situation is currently problematic anyway. Numerous players are still out with injuries. The defense in particular has been struggling with notable absences for many months. So it is all the more gratifying from the Spanish side that Antonio Rüdiger was able to make his comeback in the second group game and will now probably be called upon to start, due to Asencio’s suspension.
There is no need to worry about Alonso’s team in attack. Although star striker Mbappé has not yet played in this tournament and Rodrygo is slowly being brought back into the team after injury, the Galacticos have enough players in Bellingham, Güler, Vini Jr. and new discovery Gonzalo Garcia who can make the difference as a collective or with individual actions. Against the vulnerable RBS defense, as described, I expect to see plenty of clear-cut chances.
That’s exactly why the betting odds for at least one Real goal in both halves between RB Salzburg and Real Madrid are in our top tip table. Risk-taking bettors can also bet on the co-favorite for the Club World Cup title to win both halves. Interwetten is offering odds of 2.70. With the €11 Interwetten free bet, you can bet without risking your own money.
Predicted line-up:
Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rüdiger, Dean Huijsen, Fran Garcia; Güler, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Fede Valverde, Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior
RB Salzburg – Real Madrid Head-to-head record
Just five months ago, the two clubs faced each other in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. Real Madrid demonstrated their strength in front of their home crowd and ran out deserved 5-1 winners. The Madrid side were already 2-0 up at half-time. Incidentally, it was the first and only competitive meeting between these two clubs. They had previously met in a friendly in the summer of 2019 as part of their pre-season preparations, which the Royals also won 1-0. Salzburg are now hoping for their first respectable result against the most successful football club in Europe in recent years.
RB Salzburg – Real Madrid Tip
The situation ahead of RB Salzburg’s match against Real Madrid is fairly straightforward. If the teams draw with at least four goals (2-2 or higher), both teams are guaranteed a place in the round of 16. If the match ends 1-1, Al-Hilal has the chance to overtake RBS thanks to a better goal difference. If there is a winner, they will advance to the next round as group winners, while the loser will have to hope that Pachuca earns a point against the Saudis in the parallel match.
However, I am making my assessment of this match without taking the stated constellation into account. Instead, I see clear quality advantages for the Galacticos, who have not exactly covered themselves in glory so far, but should be able to create enough chances against Salzburg’s sometimes unstable defense. I therefore predict that the favorite will score at least once in each half between RB Salzburg and Real Madrid.
