| |
The battle to qualify from Group E is already rather intense and what a way to take it up a notch as Argentina’s River Plate take on the fiery Mexican outfit Monterrey. Marcelo Gallardo’s side may have beaten Urawa Red Diamonds in their opener, but that scoreline perhaps flattered the club from Buenos Aires - and largely had Marcos Acuna to thank for two incredible crosses.
River Plate gave up a cheap penalty to let the Japanese side back in the game, and against Monterrey, who drew 1-1 with Inter, this game isn’t going to be as one sided as the bookmakers suggest.
Sergio Ramos’ thumping header showed what a threat he still is from set pieces, but Monterrey’s Spanish contingency at the other end of the pitch can cause River’s backline problems.
Argentine Centre-back German Pezzella is a liability, and Sergio Canales - who produced 29 goal contributions in 39 league games - will look to get at him. Throw in Lucas Ocampos and Oliver Torres, we’ll witness a much more aggressive Monterrey side than the one that faced Inter.
The market has sided with River for their name, but the Mexicans can get on the scoresheet once more in round two, making BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE the selection.
Juventus were very impressive as they brushed Al Ain to one side. Having won 5-0, scoring four in the first half, the Serie A club got the job done without getting out of second gear.
VAR did bail them out in the second half and they were able to preserve their clean sheet. The Italians will be looking to replicate their performance and result against Wydad, who lost 2-0 against Man City in their opening match.
That game was held in Philadelphia - as will this one - and what is guaranteed in that part of the world is extreme heat and high levels of humidity at this time of year. This, in theory, will keep the scoreline down with neither team able to play with any kind of intensity for the whole 90 minutes.
At the time of writing, two games have been held at this particular stadium, both finishing with two goals or less. JUVENTUS will be able to keep Wydad at arms length - just like Pep Guardiola’s side did - and WIN TO NIL but they may struggle to be as ruthless in the heat, so adding UNDER 4.5 GOALS makes sense.
A repeat of last year’s Intercontinental Cup final provides Real Madrid with an opportunity to notch their first win after being held 1-1 with Al-Hilal. Los Blancos beat Pachuca 3-0 last December, and having fallen short against Salzburg in their opener, the market suggests Xabi Alonso’s side can secure three points in round two.
Admittedly, Real Madrid will have to perform a lot better than they did against Al Hilal to secure their first win of the tournament - and Kylian Mbappe will be missing once again with a stomach issue. Let’s not forget that Xabi Alonso is trying to implement a new style, and this won’t happen overnight.
Still, the pre-tournament favourites for the Club World Cup shouldn’t be struggling against a Mexican side that failed to secure a point against a woeful Salzburg team. It might be another unconvincing performance, but Real Madrid have enough quality to edge towards qualification.
Unsurprisingly, REAL MADRID are heavily odds-on TO WIN the match, but throw in UNDER 3.5 GOALS and 5/4 looks an attractive price.
Al-Hilal showed they could be dark horses to progress deep into this competition with a superb display against Real Madrid.
Despite falling behind, the Saudi club bounced back and fully deserved to get something from the game. Even without Alexsander Mitrovic, Al-Hilal looked deadly in the final third - and they’ll be confident they can beat their next European opponents in Washington DC.
Salzburg squeezed past Pachuca, having been pegged back in the 56th minute. Despite being known for giving youth an opportunity to shine and develop, 33-year-old Karim Onisiwo came to the rescue with 14 minutes left on the clock.
But it wasn’t convincing from the Austrians, who are currently in a transitional period.
Having embarrassed themselves in the Champions League, as well as failing to win their domestic title, they face a settled side with a new head coach that is eager to impress. AL-HILAL’s highly-rated attackers can oversee another European side falling short in this competition, and backing them TO WIN is the play.
Odds correct at 1520 BST (20/06/25)
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at and .