Xabi Alonso took charge of his first official match as Real Madrid head coach, while Simone Inzaghi marked his debut in the Al Hilal dugout. And in a night of managerial firsts, it was the underdogs from Saudi Arabia who stole the spotlight, holding the European giants to a 1-1 draw.

A result few saw coming

Many expected a one-sided affair, with Al Hilal sitting deep and looking to survive. Instead, what unfolded was an open and entertaining contest — and a fair share of surprises. Real Madrid broke the deadlock in the 34th minute, converting their first real counter-attack into a goal. But far from folding, the Saudi champions showed real intent, creating several dangerous moments of their own. Thibaut Courtois was called into action more than once to keep Los Blancos ahead.

Nevés levels it from the spot

Just before half-time, the breakthrough came for Al Hilal. Raul Asensio clipped a trailing leg inside the box, and the referee pointed to the spot. Rúben Neves made no mistake, sending Courtois the wrong way to level the match — 1-1.

Real push, but Bounou saves the day

The second half saw Real Madrid turn up the intensity. Fran García rattled the crossbar within seconds of the restart, and Arda Güler added spark off the bench. But Al Hilal stood firm, disciplined and well-organised in defence.

Drama struck again in the 88th minute. Al-Qahtani caught García with a reckless arm during an aerial challenge, and VAR confirmed what the replays showed: penalty for Real Madrid. But Yassine Bounou became the hero, diving to his right to deny Federico Valverde from the spot.

What’s next?

The draw leaves Real Madrid with work to do in their group. Up next, they face Mexico’s Pachuca, while Al Hilal will look to build on this result against Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg. If tonight was any indication, no one should be underestimating the Saudi side again.

2025 FIFA Club World Cup

Real - Al Hilal SFC 1:1 (1:1)
Goals: García G., 34 (1:0); Ruben Neves, 41 (penalty) (1:1)

Real: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold (Vazquez L., 65); Asencio R. (Güler A., 46); García Fr.; Huijsen; García G.; Tchouaméni; Bellingham (Modric, 84); Valverde F.; Vinícius Júnior (Muñoz, 80); Rodrygo (Diaz Br., 65)
Bench: Gonzalez Fran; Lunin Andriy; Aguado D.; Ramon J.; Andres Chema; Dani Ceballos; Martin Ma.; Endrick
Yellow Cards: Vinícius Júnior 15

Al Hilal SFC: Bounou; Al-Dawsari N. (Kanno, 76); Cancelo (Al-Yami H., 64); Koulibaly K.; Renan Lodi (Al-Harbi, 83); Tambakti; Al-Dawsari; Milinković-Savić S.; Ruben Neves; Leonardo M. (Al-Juwayr, 83); Malcom (Al-Qahtani, 64)
Bench: Al-Bulayhi; Al Dawsari Kh.; Lajami; Al-Ghannam; Al Hamdan
Yellow Cards: Ruben Neves 89; Al-Qahtani 90