Al Ahly and Real Madrid have announced their line-ups for tonight’s FIFA Club World Cup semi-final.
The Egyptian giants are in their third successive Club World Cup semi-final and their eighth overall, but are yet to reach the final of the competition.
Real, meanwhile, are the record holders, having lifted the trophy in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
In 2014, they beat Cruz Azul 4-0 in the semi-final, in 2016 they beat Club America 2-0, in 2017 they beat Al Jazira 2-1 and a year later they beat Kashima Antlers 3-1 at this stage.
Al Ahly could write history on Wednesday by becoming the first ever African team to beat an European side at the FIFA Club World Cup.
So far, only two African teams made it to the Club World Cup final, namely TP Mazembe in 2010, when they were beaten 3-0 by Inter Milan, while Raja Casablanca lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich in 2013.
They entered the tournament in great form and are still unbeaten under new coach Marcelo Koller in 2022/23 – picking up 15 wins and four draws so far.
Two of those wins have come at this year’s Club World Cup in Rabat, Morocco, where Al Ahly are once again flying the CAF flag after CAF Champions League winners and hosts Wydad Athletic Club were knocked out in the previous round.
Al Ahly, meanwhile, have beaten Auckland City 3-0 in the preliminary round, with Percy Tau coming off the bench to score his side’s third goal, before they beat Seattle Sounders, with Tau starting the match and being involved to Al Ahly’s late winner.
Los Blancos come into the tie a bit undercooked after dropping five points in their last three LaLiga, allowing FC Barcelona to open an eight-point gap.
There is talk that Carlo Ancelotti could face the sack should Real underperform at the Club World Cup, with anything but a win being considered a failure.
The Italian coach will have to make due without the injured Karim Benzema, Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao, while Eden Hazard, Lucas Vazquez and Ferland Mendy are also sidelined.
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Here is how they line up:
Al Ahly XI: tbc.
Real Madrid XI: Lunin, Alaba, Nacho, Ruediger, Modric, Kroos, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Valverde, Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo.
