RB Salzburg vs Real Madrid predictions: Guler can put Real on path to last 16
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- RB Salzburg lost 5-1 at Real Madrid in January's Champions League fixture
- Madrid beat Pachuca 3-1 on matchday two despite a seventh-minute red card
- Recommended bet: Arda Guler to be first goalscorer
Real Madrid's first two matches under new manager Xabi Alonso have been eventful and they will be hoping for a more comfortable victory over RB Salzburg on Friday.
The teams are level on four points at the top of Group H but a slip-up would open the door for third-placed Al Hilal, who face eliminated Pachuca in their final group game.
Real drew 1-1 with Al Hilal, with Federico Valverde missing a penalty, before an impressive 3-1 win over Pachuca in which they were reduced to 10 men in the seventh minute.
Team news
RB Salzburg have no reported injury problems so coach Thomas Letsch may stick with the team who started against Al Hilal.
Top scorer Nene Dorgeles and playmaker Oscar Gloukh are the attacking midfielders in Letsch's 4-2-2-2 formation.
Madrid's top goalscorer Kylian Mbappe is still recovering from gastroenteritis and is unlikely to be risked.
Antonio Rudiger should return at centre-back as Raul Asencio is suspended but Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Eder Militao and Eduardo Camavinga are injured.
The stats
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RB Salzburg lost seven of their eight Champions League matches in 2024-25.
Both teams have scored in nine of Salzburg's last 11 games in all competitions.
Salzburg have lost the shot count 17-10 and 19-13 in their first two Group H matches.
Real Madrid have been leading at half-time in five of their last seven games.
Real scored with five of their six shots on target in January's Champions League win over Salzburg.
No team has won more FIFA Club World Cup titles than Madrid's five.
Prediction
RB Salzburg were rated the weakest of the 12 European teams at the FIFA Club World Cup but they have given themselves a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.
The Austrians beat Pachuca 2-1 on matchday one before a goalless draw with Al Hilal but they face a huge step up in class on Friday.
Salzburg were out of their depth in this season's Champions League and their seven defeats included a 5-1 loss away to Real Madrid in January.
Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr both scored twice in that rout and Kylian Mbappe was also on the scoresheet against a Salzburg side who finished the league phase with a goal difference of minus 22.
Mbappe has missed the first two CWC matches due to illness and Alonso will take no chances with the fitness of the brilliant France forward.
His understudy Gonzalo Garcia opened the scoring against Al Hilal before goals from Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Valverde helped the 10 men see off Pachuca.
Turkish attacker Guler also caught the eye as a second-half substitute on matchday one, hitting the crossbar with one of his three shots at goal.
He was rewarded with a start against Pachuca and he put Real 2-0 up with a precise finish just before half-time.
Guler started only 14 LaLiga matches in Carlo Ancelotti's final season in charge but he is eager to establish himself as a key player for Alonso and looks a decent bet to open the scoring against Salzburg.
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