MIAMI: In a tense clash between Al Hilal and Spanish giants Real Madrid, Bounou denied Federico Valverde from the spot in the 90+2 minute, preserving a vital point for the Saudi side. The game had been balanced at 1-1 following goals from Goncalo Garcia (34′) for Madrid and a penalty conversion by Al Hilal’s Ruben Neves (41′) after Leonardo was fouled by Asensio.

Real Madrid, playing without star forward Kylian Mbappé due to illness, fielded Castilla talent Garcia, who seized his opportunity by opening the scoring. The match also marked the debut of Xabi Alonso as Real’s head coach following his move from Bayer Leverkusen.

In the same group, Austrian club Salzburg edged Mexican side Pachuca 2-1 in a game delayed by over 90 minutes due to extreme weather conditions.

Elsewhere, Wydad Casablanca endured a 2-0 defeat at the hands of English champions Manchester City, with goals from Phil Foden (2′) and Jeremy Doku (42′). Despite the setback, Wydad’s substitute midfielder Mickaël Malsa remained hopeful, stating, “Anything is possible. So we will not give up.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola applauded his squad depth and revealed plans to rotate heavily for the next fixture against Al Ain: “In the next match, 10 new players will join the squad, and we will strive to win again.”

However, Al Ain faced a bruising start to their tournament, falling 5-0 to Italian powerhouse Juventus. The rout included a brace from Randal Kolo Muani (11′, 45+4′), and strikes from Francisco Conceição (21′, 58′) and Kenan Yıldız (31′). Despite bringing in eight new signings, including veteran Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio, defensive lapses cost the Emirati side dearly.

As the tournament heats up, Al Hilal stand as the Arab region’s strongest hope, while Wydad and Al Ain face an uphill battle to keep their Club World Cup dreams alive.