Real Madrid 5-3 Al Hilal: Vinicius Junior double sets up Club World Cup final joy

The
Brazilian
winger,
who
has
faced
appalling
racist
abuse
in
Spain
this
season,
let
his
football
do
the
talking
in
Rabat
as
Carlo
Ancelotti’s
Madrid
lifted
the
trophy.

Federico
Valverde
also
hit
a
double
and
there
was
a
welcome
goal
for
Karim
Benzema
on
his
return
from
a
minor
injury,
with
Madrid
never
seriously
troubled
by
the
champions
of
Saudi
Arabia.

Al
Hilal
beat
Flamengo
in
the
semi-finals,
but
taking
down
the
UEFA
Champions
League
holders
was
a
step
too
far,
although
they
rattled
Madrid
at
times.

Vinicius
put
Madrid
ahead
in
the
13th
minute
when
Benzema
played
him
through
to
the
left
of
goal.
The
Brazilian’s
right-footed
strike
was
not
the
most
convincing
of
finishes
but
sneaked
through
the
defences
of
goalkeeper
Abdullah
Al
Muaiouf.

Argentinian
Luciano
Vietto
almost
levelled
barely
a
minute
later
when
his
low
strike
from
20
yards
went
inches
wide
of
the
left
post.
Yet
Madrid
moved
2-0
up
in
the
18th
minute
after
a
soft
goal
for
Al
Hilal
to
concede.

Luka
Modric’s
whipped
cross
from
the
right
was
too
hot
for
Al
Muaiouf,
with
the
ball
bouncing
out
to
Valverde
whose
15-yard
skidding
volley
went
through
defender
Ali
Al
Bulayhi
and
the
goalkeeper.
Al
Muaiouf
did
better
moments
later
when
repelling
a
strike
by
Benzema.

2
–
Vinícius
Júnior
is
the
first
Brazilian
player
to
score
a
brace
in
a
final
in
the
history
of
the
Club
World
Cup.
Decisive.

pic.twitter.com/UKL2NTSgkY

—
OptaJoao
(@OptaJoao)

February
11,
2023

Any
thought
Los
Blancos
might
be
on
easy
street
evaporated
when
Moussa
Marega
dashed
through
to
fire
past
Andriy
Lunin
in
the
26th
minute,
with
Benzema
missing
a
good
chance
late
in
the
half
to
restore
the
two-goal
cushion.

Benzema
made
no
such
mistake
in
the
54th
minute,
meeting
a
cross
from
Vinicius
on
the
left
with
a
powerful
close-range
finish.
The
ball
from
Vinicius,
struck
with
the
outside
of
his
right
boot,
was
read
perfectly
by
Benzema
whose
sharp
movement
left
three
markers
standing.

Dani
Carvajal
and
Valverde
combined
expertly
down
the
Madrid
right
in
the
58th
minute,
working
a
path
into
the
Al
Hilal
penalty
area,
with
Valverde
clipping
in
his
second
goal
of
the
game.

Five
minutes
later,
Antonio
Rudiger
was
caught
asleep
on
the
job
as
Vietto
sprinted
behind
him
before
chipping
past
Lunin
to
cut
Madrid’s
lead
to
4-2,
but
Vinicius
soon
restored
the
three-goal
cushion
with
a
sweeping
finish
into
the
right
corner.

Vietto
scored
again
in
the
79th
minute,
but
Madrid
avoided
any
more
costly
defensive
wobbles
to
get
their
hands
on
the
trophy.