Real Madrid have endured a chaotic start to their second game of the FIFA Club World Cup against Pachuca in North Carolina.
After opening with a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in a sweltering hot Miami, Xabi Alonso stuck with ten of the same starters, with only Arda Guler replacing Rodrygo Goes in attack.
However, Los Blancos suffered a nightmare start at the Bank of America Stadium, via another error from centre back Raul Asencio.
Asencio headed off to the USA on the back of signing a contract extension in Madrid, but he conceded a penalty against Al Hilal, which Ruben Neves converted to seal a draw for the Saudi Pro League side.
However, his mistake against Pachuca was even more damaging, with Real Madrid reduced to ten men after just seven minutes following his dismissal.
A long ball out of defence was not read properly by either Asencio or his defensive partner Dean Huijsen, with the latter playing Salomon Rondon onside, and the former clearly hauling him down just outside Thibaut Courtois’ penalty area.
Raúl Asencio is sent off in the seventh minute 😱
(via @DAZNFootball)pic.twitter.com/7EPxyYTRqT
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 22, 2025
Roja a Asencio es malísimo.
El otro día hace un penalti hoy expulsado JAJAJAJAJAJA
pic.twitter.com/7xUvFrRstO— AtletionTop (@AtletiOnTop) June 22, 2025
Match referee Ramon Abatti Abel immediately produced a straight red card for Asencio for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity to Rondon.
It caps a poor start to the competition for Asencio and his manager Alonso as Real Madrid battle for a place in the last 16 knockouts.
RB Salzburg’s 2-1 win over Pachuca puts them top of Group H, with Alonso needing something special to avoid their fate going down to a clash with the Austrians, in Philadelphia on June 27.
