2025 Club W Cup Match Preview - Red Bull Salzburg vs. Real Madrid: Which club will emerge in 1st place in Group H? June 26, 2025 by Marc Jerbs

Red Bull Salzburg and Real Madrid are set to clash in a pivotal Group H encounter at the Club W. Cup on Friday, June 27, at 2:00 AM BST. The match will take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, with both sides level on four points and battling for the group’s top spot. Real Madrid currently edges Salzburg due to a superior goal difference.

Form Guide & Group H Overview

Real Madrid began their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal before securing a 3-1 victory over Pachuca, despite playing almost the entire match with ten men after Raúl Asencio’s early red card. Goals from Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler, and Federico Valverde sealed the win. Remarkably, the Spanish giants remain unbeaten in regular-time matches at the Club World Cup, excluding a penalty shootout loss in 2000.

Red Bull Salzburg started strong with a 2-1 win over Pachuca but were then held to a 0-0 stalemate by Al-Hilal. Despite accumulating four points, head coach Thomas Letsch admitted frustration with his side's inability to convert opportunities.

Both teams are currently tied with four points in Group H:

Team	Games Played	Wins	Draws	Losses	Goal Difference	Point
Real Madrid	2	1	1	0	+2	4
RB Salzburg	2	1	1	0	+1	4
Al Hilal	2	0	2	0	0	2
Pacuca	2	0	0	2	-3	0

Qualification Scenarios

Real Madrid need only a draw to secure a place in the last 16, while a win would clinch top spot in Group H.

Red Bull Salzburg must win to guarantee first place. They could still advance with a draw or loss if Al-Hilal fails to defeat Pachuca in the concurrent fixture.

Red Bull Salzburg vs. Real Madrid Sports Bet Odds

Los Blancos are the favorites to win the game. Here are our latest odds:

• Los Blancos are favored by 2 points, with a full-time result of 1.30.
• The Die Roten Bullen are the underdogs by 2 points, with a full-time result of 9.50.
• Draw has a full-time result of 5.75.
• Total Goals is set at 2.5 points, with the Under at 3.40 and the Over at 1.33.

Team News

Real Madrid
Raúl Asencio is suspended following his red card. Injuries continue to plague the squad, with Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Éder Militão, Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy, and Endrick all unavailable. Antonio Rüdiger is expected to partner Dean Huijsen in central defense.

There is optimism surrounding Kylian Mbappé, who has returned to training after recovering from gastroenteritis. He may be fit enough to play after missing the first two group matches. Gonzalo García has led the attack in his absence.

Projected XI: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rüdiger, Huijsen, Fran García; Güler, Tchouaméni, Bellingham; Valverde, Mbappé, Vinícius Jr.

Red Bull Salzburg
Salzburg will be without Takumu Kawamura (knee), goalkeeper Alexander Schlager (hand), and winger Moussa Yeo (knee). Youngster Christian Zawieschitzky, who debuted in the opener, is set to continue in goal. Midfielder Maurits Kjærgaard has recovered from an ankle injury and may feature off the bench. Oscar Gloukh is in contention for a starting role.

Projected XI: Zawieschitzky; Lainer, Gadou, Rasmussen, Krätzig; Bidstrup, Diabaté; Nene, Gloukh; Onisiwo, Baidoo.

Head-to-Head and Stats

This marks just the second competitive meeting between the two sides. Real Madrid won their first encounter 5-2 during the Champions League league phase five months ago. Madrid has conceded in 27 of their 39 matches across all competitions (71%) since the start of the year. Salzburg, meanwhile, has struggled historically against Spanish sides, winning just five of 24 meetings (D4, L15).

Final Thoughts

This match promises to be a high-stakes showdown with knockout qualification on the line. Real Madrid, even with several key absences, remains a formidable force with the potential return of Kylian Mbappé providing an added boost. Salzburg, however, is more than capable of springing a surprise, especially with their energetic press and youthful enthusiasm. If they can frustrate Madrid early and capitalize on their chances, an upset is not out of the question. Expect a tense, tactical battle where individual brilliance could make all the difference.