Al Hilal has a chance to make history in the 2022 Club World Cup final by facing Real Madrid and trying to beat them like Al-Nassr did almost 15 years ago.
The end of Club World Cup 2023 It will be played between Real Madrid and Al Hilal this Saturday, February 11th. André Carrillo’s side could become the first Asian club capable of lifting the trophy after failed attempts by Kashima Antlers and Al-Ain, who were defeated by Madrid themselves in 2016 and 2018. Although the Arab clubs are not favourites, they have shown more than once that they are competitive and one of the most memorable performances was a 4-1 win by Al-Nassr against the Whites.
Although it wasn’t a Club World Cup match, Al-Nassr managed to beat Real Madrid, who had just won their 31st La Liga title, in a friendly match played on May 20, 2008 at the King Fahd Stadium . This meeting was intended to bid farewell to legendary Saudi striker Majed Abdullah, who retired from professional football in 1998.
How was Al-Nassr’s win against Real Madrid?
As it was a very special occasion as it was the farewell game for the Saudi Arabia side’s historic goalscorer, Al-Nassr was reinforced with other national team figures and international stars such as Iraq’s Nashat Akram in his starting XI only played with three players from the squad. Abdullah, the man of the night, entered to liven up the party after 29 minutes.
Real Madrid played with their starting squad that included the likes of Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Robinho and Raúl García. Although it remained 0-0 until the 35th minute, coach Bernd Schuster made his first substitutions: Dudek for Casillas, Salgado for Ramos, Sneijder for Guti and Van Nistelrooy for Raúl. Before the second half, Madrid already had another eleven.
Majed Abdullah played his farewell game aged 48 and a decade after retiring from professional football. Photo: Portal
Al-Nassr’s comeback
The Saudi Arabian team had been reluctant in the first half but a goal from Robben opened the scoring in the 49th minute. Though it was a sudden blow from the visitors, back-to-back goals from Moath and Akram paved the way for a comeback. Goals from Krery and Moath’s brace sealed an unexpected 4-1 victory for Al-Nassr.
Although Real Madrid switched their entire squad in the second half, it was still a squad of world-class names and, despite nothing being at stake, they didn’t put their arms down to try and score a discount until the very end.