RB Salzburg vs Al-Hilal
RB Salzburg have raised eyebrows by taking the top spot in Group H, over the likes of Real Madrid, Al-Hilal, and Pachuca. Thomas Letsch’s men opened their 2025 Club World Cup campaign with a 2-1 victory against Pachuca, earning three valuable points last Wednesday evening at the TQL Stadium.
The Red Bulls aim for their second straight win to book their tickets to the next round as soon as possible, but Al-Hilal are in their way. These two sides will square off at Audi Field in Washington, DC this Sunday night.
Al-Hilal are coming off a surprising 1-1 draw against Real Madrid earlier this week. This is a positive start for Simone Inzaghi in his managerial stint with the Saudi Pro League side, and he should feel confident about his chances against a relatively weaker team in RB Salzburg.
Learn more about these two clubs in today’s SBOTOP preview.
Talking Points
RB Salzburg could make lineup changes
RB Salzburg head coach Thomas Letsch guided his side to a second-place finish in the Austrian Bundesliga. After concluding their domestic campaign with four consecutive wins, the Red Bulls picked up where they left off with a 2-1 win over Pachuca, as Oscar Gloukh and Karim Onisiwo found the back of the net.
Having scored last Wednesday after coming off the bench, Onisiwo could be pushing for a starting berth against Al-Hilal. If he does get the start, the 33-year-old will likely replace Edmund Baidoo in the final third. Like Onisiwo, Yorbe Vertessen and Soumalia Diabate could draw starts after their encouraging 30-minute cameos. Meanwhile, second-choice goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky should continue to fill in for the injured Alexander Schlager, who remains out with a hand problem.
The Red Bulls have scored in their last 16 matches since a goalless draw against Austria Klagenfurt last February. However, they must tighten up on the defensive end, as RB Salzburg recorded only one clean sheet in their last nine outings.
Still no Mitrovic for Al-Hilal
Marcos Leonardo should continue starting up front for Al-Hilal, as Aleksandar Mitrovic remains sidelined by a calf injury. Losing Mitrovic is huge for Simone Inzaghi’s side because he is their leading scorer with 19 league goals and two assists this term. Since joining Al-Hilal last summer, Leonardo has notched 25 goals across all competitions.
Ruben Neves scored the equalizer against Real Madrid via penalty, making him Al-Hilal’s hero. However, he must be careful to avoid his second yellow card to avoid a one-match suspension.
Simone Inzaghi will likely stick with the starting XI he had against Real Madrid, with Nasser Al-Dawsari and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic joining Neves in midfield and Salem Al-Dawsari and Malcom linking up with Leonardo in the final third. João Cancelo, Hassan Altambakti, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Renan Lodi should comprise their back four to cover Bono.
History
Sunday marks the first-ever competitive encounter between RB Salzburg and Al-Hilal. Simone Inzaghi has won three of his previous four meetings against RB Salzburg during his coaching career thus far (L1).
This year marks the first Club World Cup for RB Salzburg, while this is not the first time for Al-Hilal. Al-Hilal have played in three iterations of this tournament, with their best finish being second place after losing 5-3 to Real Madrid in the 2022 final.
RB Salzburg secured their Club World Cup berth in April 2024 via the UEFA ranking pathway, following Bayern Munich’s elimination of Arsenal in the 2023-24 Champions League quarterfinals. That result gave them the 12th and final European spot at the Club World Cup, based on their performances in the Champions League over the previous four seasons.
Meanwhile, Al-Hilal qualified for the Club World Cup by winning the 2021 AFC Champions League, earning one of the four slots allocated to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) clubs in the tournament’s expanded 32-team format.
Betting Tip
The Club World Cup 2025 odds predict Al-Hilal handing RB Salzburg their first loss of the tournament. The Saudi Pro League runners-up are at 1.86 odds to win, whereas the Red Bulls are 3.50 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.59 in the 1X2 market.
Choosing the winner between these two teams is difficult since they are evenly matched on paper. However, we believe they will score goals and create new Club World Cup 2025 highlights for the enjoyment of the fans, hence our recommended bet. Bettors can also add Over 2.75 at 1.61 to their parlay. If you’re looking for a draw, then check out the Correct Score of 1-1 because it yields a solid payday of 7.60 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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