Real Madrid vs. Pachuca live score: Intercontinental Cup final result, updates, stats, lineups as Mbappe puts Ancelotti’s men ahead

Halftime

Pachuca kept Madrid at bay and competed well for most of the opening 45 minutes. But Madrid threatened to run away with things in the minutes immediately after Mbappe’s opening goal and they will fancy doing so when the action resumes.

45 mins: There’ll be one added minute and Pachuca seem to have effectively weathered the storm that followed Mbappe’s goal.

39 mins: Now Valverde gets into the box on the right-hand side and clatters over the near post. Halftime suddenly feels a long time away for Pachuca.

38 mins; The goal was Real Madrid’s first short on target and Mbappe fancies another as he thuds a low drive wide from outside the box.

37 mins: GOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!!! Kylian Mbappe!!!!

Madrid’s stars combine to break the deadlock. Bellingham cutely plays through Vinicius, who deftly dummies his way around Moreno and cuts back across goal for Mbappe to convert.

34 mins: Moreno is out sharply to make a fine close-range save from Rodrygo. Then the offside flag goes up.

29 mins: Pachuca surge up the other end and Gonzalez wins a corner, which is taken short. Bautista has a faintly ludicrous shot from about 35 yards that’s miles off target.

28 mins: Madrid continue to knock at the door but Mbappe can’t quite get the ball out of his feet and is crowded out.

22 mins: Fantastic sliding block from Micolta to deny Rodrygo. The Pachuca defender came out of nowhere then. Madrid can’t make the corner count but this is starting to feel like a pretty taxing experience for their opponents.

16 mins: Quick VAR check after a coming together between Valverde and Deossa in the Madrid box. Nothing in that though, no need for a check on the screen. On we go.

14 mins: Rudiger pings a cross-field ball for Rodrygo, who wants a free-kick following Bryan Gonzalez’s challenge. Nothing doing and that’s a goal kick.

12 mins: Into the Pachuca area in a flash and Vinicius wins a corner. Played short by Rodrygo, doesn’t really work but they get another go. Now Bellingham can’t get to a near-post delivery.

11 mins: Pachuca are switching play effectively here, pushing Madrid back and they win another corner. Montiel’s delivery is cleared and here come Vinicius and Mbappe…

7 mins: Oh, hello! Pachuca right-back Rodriguez is allowed to advance and slaps a low shot from just over 25 yards. Courtois scrambles to push it around the post and Madrid deal with the corner.

5 mins: A Madrid attack breaks down after Mbappe is penalised for handball. He reckons the ball hit his stomach and I dare say he has a point. 

Kickoff: 1st Half

Off we go. Real Madrid settle into some calm possession before Courtois launches it forward to no one in particular.

4 mins before kickoff: Here come the teams, entering the scene of the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. It means Kylian Mbappe is back at the scene of both an unforgettable hat-trick and probably his most crushing career disappointment. Lusail Stadium was heaving that night in 2022. Two years on, there are definitely more than a few seats going spare.

20 mins before kickoff: So, not to get all existential, why are we all here? Well, this competition basically fills the gap in the schedule (woe betide we have one of those) left by the FIFA Club World Cup, which will now take place as a 32-team expanded tournament next year to ensure we have no gaps in the schedule.

Anyway, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup featured knockout games with the club champions from FIFA’s six affiliated confederations. Real Madrid gained an automatic place in the final and Pachuca booked their spot by stunning Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo 3-0 in the ‘Derby of the Americas’ on December 11 before knocking out Al Ahly on penalties.

The old Intercontinental Cup was played between the UEFA and CONMEBOL champions from 1960 to 2004, with Real Madrid prevailing on three occasions.

45 mins before kickoff: This is how Pachuca line up . It looks like that might be a narrow 4-4-2 diamond as they seek to starve Madrid of room in central areas.

Ancelotti has named a strong squad for the trip to Lusail with the Italian hoping to lift a trophy to ease some pressure following a mixed start to the season.

The main news focuses on a return to fitness for Kylian Mbappe after he missed the weekend 3-3 La Liga draw at Rayo Vallecano, with fellow France star Eduardo Camavinga also back.

However, defensive quartet Ferland Mendy, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and David Alaba all remain sidelined.

Real Madrid lineup (4-3-3, right to left): Courtois (GK) — Vazquez, Tchouameni Rudiger, Garcia — Valverde, Bellingham, Camavinga — Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.

Injured: Mendy (calf), Carvajal (knee), Militao (knee), Alaba (knee)
Suspended: None

Pachuca knocked out Copa Libertadores champions Botafogo in the quartefinals and beat Al Ahly on penalties in the semifinals.

Pachuca predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Moreno (GK) — Rodriguez, Cabral, Micolta, B. Gonzalez — Avalos, Pedraza — A. Gonzalez, Gutierrez, Idrissi — Rondon

Injured: Barreto (knee)
Suspended: None

Here’s how to watch this FIFA Intercontinental Cup match across selected areas of the world’s major regions: