By Simon Asare
Rabat, (Morocco), Feb. 11, GNA – Real Madrid clinched an unprecedented fifth FIFA Club World Cup title as they annihilated Al-Hilal 5-3 in the finals.
The Los Blancos, after an easy 4-1 win against Al Ahly in the semis, put on another five-star performance at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat to edge their Saudi counterparts.
Vinicius Junior and Frederico Valverde each scored twice, while Karim Benzema’s solitary strike capped off an emphatic victory for Los Blancos.
The game had a cagey start, with both sides looking to have a grip of the game, but it was Real Madrid who had a better start.
Real Madrid scored two goals through Vinicius and Valverde in the first quarter of the game and were in cruise control of the game.
But Moussa Mariga’s goal in the 26th minute for the Blue Waves made the encounter a fascinating one to watch going into recess.
Following the restart, Real Madrid came out strong, with Benzema scoring their third from close range after a brilliant assist by Vinicius.
Valverde scored his second goal of the day four minutes later with a superb close finish as Real Madrid demonstrated their quality against a deflated Al-Hila side.
Al Hilal’s playmaker Luciano Vietto scored a brace in the second half, but Vinicius added his second of the game to seal off an emphatic win for the Los Blancos, who clinch the trophy.
Brazil’s Flamengo clinched the bronze medal as they defeated Al Ahly 4-2 in the third-place match played in Tangier.
GNA