With just 10 minutes left of the Club World Cup semi-final between Al Ahly and Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior made yet another darting run into the box. The Spanish champions were 2-1 up and, when Vinicius Jr fell to the ground, it suddenly looked as if they would have the chance to extend that narrow lead.

But referee Andres Matonte let it go, while Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti and the large contingent of Madridistas in Rabat, Morocco, held their breath once again as the game continued for what seemed an eternal two minutes.

Al Ahly were still threatening to draw level. Then, when everyone seemed to have forgotten about Vinicius Jr’s fall, Matonte was given a signal in his ear from the VAR to review a potential penalty and the referee promptly made his way to the touchline monitor. That provided just enough time for Aurelien Tchouameni to put the ball back into the box before the decision was made, much to Al Ahly’s anger. The Egyptian side threw the ball into the stands and their players clashed with Madrid’s as they tried to delay the inevitable.

Both sides were desperate not to concede and the melee forced Matonte to retrace his steps and look to bring some order to proceedings. But it didn’t stop what was to come — a penalty bizarrely announced over the public address system as part of a FIFA experiment to communicate VAR calls to fans at the tournament, followed by a miss from an exhausted Luka Modric.

Luka Modric’s missed penalty made for a nervous finish to Real Madrid’s Club World Cup semi-final (Photo: James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images).

Just when it seemed as if momentum had shifted back towards Al Ahly, the magic of Dani Ceballos appeared in the second minute of stoppage time. The midfielder exchanged passes with Rodrygo before producing a fine back-heel for the Brazilian to restore Madrid’s two-goal cushion and spark wild celebrations. There was still time for a diamond from the youth academy called Sergio Arribas to introduce himself to the world — the clock read 7.05 when he came on to replace Vinicius Jr; by 7.32, he had scored his first senior goal for Real Madrid following a free-kick.

It had been unexpectedly tense, but those final minutes meant Real Madrid were able to forget the rest — their extended suffering, the clear signs of fatigue, the nine shots from Al Ahly and two miraculous saves from reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

And so, thanks to a remarkable performance from the Ukrainian keeper, Ancelotti’s team kept their nerve when it was goalless and were able to open the gap to Al Ahly thanks to two bright moments. The first came from Vinicius Jr, who scored his 50th goal for Madrid with a delicate lob just before half-time, while the second came when Federico Valverde smashed home in the 46th minute, proving he is regaining form after the World Cup.

Ali Maaloul made it 2-1 from the penalty spot, but Real Madrid’s pessimism after defeat in Mallorca gave way to euphoria after Ancelotti’s substitutions and the late flurry of goals.

It does not change Real Madrid’s poor form back in Spain: they are eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga, and the feeling from within the team is that they are not at their best physically having given everything last season. That has been accentuated by the lack of reinforcements in the January transfer window, a punishing winter schedule and four players who are not in Ancelotti’s plans: Alvaro Odriozola, Jesus Vallejo, Eden Hazard and Mariano Diaz.

And yet, they are still alive in all competitions. For this reason, despite some nervy moments on Wednesday night, sources from Ancelotti’s entourage who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships have made it clear that the Club World Cup will not determine the Italian’s future at the club.

Sergio Arribas was embraced by his team-mates after scoring his first senior goal for the club (Photo: Quality Sport Images/Getty Images).

For Real Madrid to get rid of a coach, something more is needed — finishing the season without having won a title, or being out of contention for the important ones, the Champions League and La Liga, with plenty of time to go. For their part, the players, including the veterans, have not lost their appetite.

“If they had lost their ambition, they would have stopped playing after winning the first three Champions League titles and will not continue playing after five,” a source close to the club, who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships, said.

The Club World Cup, then, is seen as another important trophy to be claimed. It is the same for club officials, who know that Madrid’s global brand can be greatly enhanced by the competition. It provides them with a unique opportunity to differentiate themselves from Premier League teams, who are not playing in Morocco but who are Real’s biggest rivals internationally.

Madrid made €4.57million from their last Club World Cup campaign in 2019, compared to €8m from the Supercopa de Espana in 2022. But this tournament will lead to new commercial campaigns in foreign markets. It will also boost their visibility in north Africa and Arabic-speaking countries, as they have already proven on other occasions when playing in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco itself.

But to reach the top of the world, Madrid will still have to face another 90 minutes or more against Al Hilal, who beat South American champions Flamengo in the other semi-final on Tuesday. That now looks agonising for Madrid after their efforts on Wednesday.

“I’ll dance on Saturday,” Vinicius Jr promised in the mixed zone as the rest of the squad’s visibly tired players passed by — but they can’t stop. The following Wednesday, Elche visit the Bernabeu and Madrid will look to get their La Liga campaign back on track. The show must go on.

(Top photo: Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Source: theathletic.com