RB Salzburg vs Real Madrid
RB Salzburg and Real Madrid are set to meet at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia this Friday in the final group stage matchday of the 2025 Club World Cup.
These two teams are at the top of Group H with four points apiece, putting them in a great position to advance to the knockout stage, but only one of them can claim the first seed. Valuable points are up for grabs in this contest, especially since Al-Hilal have a winnable game against Pachuca.
The Red Bulls are coming off a hard-fought, goalless draw against Al-Hilal. On the other hand, Los Blancos secured a 3-1 victory over Pachuca, despite being reduced to 10 men. If their most recent meeting is any indication, SBOTOP football fans should expect new Club World Cup 2025 highlights on Friday.
Without further ado, continue reading below for the preview of this Group H contest.
Talking Points
RB Salzburg lacked clinical edge in the final third
After starting their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-1 win over Pachuca, RB Salzburg missed the chance to book their tickets to the knockouts with a game to spare following a goalless draw against Al-Hilal in Washington, DC last time out, and head coach Thomas Letsch lamented on the missed opportunity.
Karim Onisiwo almost gave RB Salzburg a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute. However, his volley was blocked by Al-Hilal goalkeeper Bono. John Mellberg and Nene Dorgeles tested Bono with two more chances straight after the restart. After that, the Red Bulls were on the defensive for the rest of the day, and their defense did just enough to secure a clean sheet.
Christian Zawieschitzky should continue to man between the sticks because he is doing a solid job filling in for the injured Alexander Schlager (hand). Meanwhile, Maurits Kjaergaard made his first appearance in eight months as a second-half substitute, and Sota Kitano started for the first time. RB Salzburg will need more from Oscar Gloukh, Edmund Baidoo, and Karim Onisiwo if they are to upset Real Madrid.
Mbappe and Asencio are out for Real Madrid
Real Madrid will miss a host of key players against RB Salzburg, with Kylian Mbappe and Raul Asencio being their latest absentees. Mbappe is still recovering from gastroenteritis, while Asencio will serve a one-match ban following his red card last time out. Furthermore, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Eder Militao, Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy, and Endrick are still sidelined by injuries.
Antonio Rudiger is the most likely candidate to replace Asencio and start with Dean Huijsen at center-half. Gonzalo Garcia could draw another start to lead the final third alongside Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo could reclaim his starting berth after taking the day off against Pachuca. Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, and Fede Valverde should maintain their spots in the starting XI after scoring goals against their Mexican counterparts.
History
Friday marks only the second competitive meeting between RB Salzburg and Real Madrid. These two teams previously met in matchday 7 of the 2024-25 Champions League phase last January, where Real Madrid won 5-1 at the Bernabeu. Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. scored a brace, and Kylian Mbappe had one goal. Mads Bidstrup scored a consolation goal for RB Salzburg.
This year marks the first Club World Cup for RB Salzburg, while Real Madrid are the winningest team in Club World Cup history with five trophies. Los Blancos last won the Club World Cup in 2022, beating Al-Hilal 5-3 in the final.
RB Salzburg have only won five of their previous 24 encounters against Spanish sides across all competitions (D4, L15). However, Real Madrid have conceded in 27 of their 39 matches across all competitions since the turn of the year.
Betting Tip
The Club World Cup 2025 odds expect Real Madrid to take maximum points at Lincoln Financial Field this Friday. Los Blancos are 1.25 favorites to win, whereas the Red Bulls are massive 7.10 underdogs, and a draw is at 5.30 in the 1X2 market.
Despite Kylian Mbappe’s absence, Real Madrid should have enough weapons to dispatch RB Salzburg. Besides our recommended bet, football bettors can also go for options like Over 3.25 at 1.67, Over 3.50 at 1.94, Over 3.75 at 2.16, and even Total Goals 4-6 at 2.20 because we expect these two teams to score. Moreover, a Correct Score of 3-1 in favor of Los Blancos should be considered in your parlay since it could yield a solid payday of 9.80 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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