Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the FIFA Club World Cup match.
Al-Hilal must secure a victory—ideally by a significant margin—to overtake FC Red Bull Salzburg. They have already delivered two respectable performances against top European opponents and now face a demotivated side with no remaining tournament ambitions.
Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal have shown discipline and structure in their play. In the opening round, they held Real Madrid to a 1:1 draw and then recorded a goalless stalemate against FC Red Bull Salzburg, despite generating numerous chances. The squad lacked a clinical finisher in those matches—someone like Aleksandar Mitrović, who may return to action for this third fixture. Even in his absence, Al-Hilal have been aggressive in attack, producing 3.3 xG and registering 32 shots on goal across the two games.
Pachuca
Pachuca, meanwhile, have lost both of their matches against European opponents and are already eliminated from the play-off race. Despite holding a numerical advantage for much of their contest against Real Madrid, they still suffered a 1:3 defeat. Salomón Rondón has failed to make an impact, recording no goal contributions in two appearances. The team’s overall form is concerning—they have just one win in their last eight fixtures, conceding in six of those.
Al-Hilal vs Pachuca Prediction
Al-Hilal will be highly motivated to claim all three points, as qualification from the group is on the line. Pachuca, with nothing to play for, are likely to spend most of the match on the back foot against a driven opponent. Expect Al-Hilal to take the win and score at least twice.
