Salzburg vs Real Madrid Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025 FIFA Club World Cup | Group Stage

by Alex Lawes · June 23 2025, 14:54

Updated June 24 2025, 13:57

Salzburg vs Real Madrid Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025 FIFA Club World Cup | Group Stage

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Red Bull Salzburg are perhaps the most fortunate qualifiers for the FIFA Club World Cup but they could well make the knockout stages as they now take on Real Madrid.

Kick-off date/time:

How to watch on TV & online: UK – DAZN / US – DAZN

Salzburg team news: Nothing fresh

There are no fresh injury concerns or suspension issues for Salzburg to deal with ahead of their clash with Los Blancos so they can name an unchanged eleven. A few players were left out of their squad due to injury, such as Nicolas Capaldo and Karim Konate.

Predicted XI (4-2-2-2): Zawieschitzky; Lainer, Gadou, Rasmussen, Kratzig; Bidstrup, Diabate; Nene, Gloukh; Baidoo, Onisiwo

Unavailable:

Questionable:

Real Madrid team news: Raul Asencio suspended

Raul Asencio is suspended for Real Madrid, having been sent off early on against Pachuca the other day. Kylian Mbappe was hospitalised last week due to illness. Several players missed out on the squad due to injury such as Eduardo Camavinga and Endrick.

Predicted XI (4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, Fran Garcia; Guler, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Fede Valverde, Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior

Unavailable: Raul Asencio (Suspended), Alaba (Injured), Mbappe (Illness)

Questionable:

Key stats

The clubs met for the first time in a competitive fixture on Matchday 7 of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League in January 2025, Real Madrid winning 5-1 at the Bernabéu with goals from Rodrygo (2), Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior (2). Salzburg’s reply came from Mads Bidstrup. It was Salzburg head coach Thomas Letsch’s first match in the competition.
Salzburg have lost only three of their last 18 matches in all competitions (W10 D5 L3).
Prior to their 0-0 draw against Al Hilal, Salzburg had scored in 16 successive competitive games in a run that began after a goalless draw away to Austria Klagenfurt in the Austrian Bundesliga on 9 February.
Real Madrid have won seven of their last ten matches in all competitions (W7 D1 L2).
Real Madrid have netted in each of their last 12 outings in all competitions.
Real Madrid have won 12 of their last 13 FIFA club competition matches (W12 D1 L0).
Real Madrid have lost only one of their last 16 competitive matches against Austrian teams (W10 D5 L1).
Salzburg have won only one of their last ten competitive matches against Spanish clubs (W1 D2 L7).
Madrid defender David Alaba is a long-time Austria international who has played for his country alongside Salzburg’s Karim Onisiwo, Stefan Lainer and Alexander Schlager.

Salzburg vs Real Madrid prediction

Having qualified as the highest ranked eligible side from the UEFA coefficient, Salzburg have collected four points from their opening two matches. The Austrians began with a 2-1 defeat of Pachuca in their opening game before then sharing a goalless draw against an enterprising Al Hilal side the other day.

They now face a Real Madrid side that are embarking upon a new era with Xabi Alonso now at the helm. They were arguably the weaker side in a 1-1 draw with Al Hilal in their opening game before they then managed to produce a 3-1 defeat of Pachuca the other day, despite going down to ten men early on.

Salzburg haven’t been great in their two games and Madrid showed signs of improved cohesion against Pachuca so a Madrid victory would appear likely in this game.