Salzburg overcome storm and Pachuca in Club World Cup debut | OneFootball

Red Bull Salzburg overcame more than 90 minutes of delay caused by two storm warnings in Cincinnati, eventually seeing off a spirited Pachuca side 2-1 in the opening match of the World Cup for both teams.

Earlier in the day, Al Hilal and Real Madrid shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw. Next up, the Mexicans will take on Los Blancos, while the Austrians face the Saudis, hoping to maintain their early advantage in the group.

Bright start from Pachuca, but Salzburg strike first

Pachuca were content to sit deep and let Salzburg dominate the ball early on. But it was the Mexicans who carved out the first real chance. Debutant Agustin Palavecino picked out Salomon Rondón with a perfectly weighted ball behind the defence. The Venezuelan striker raced into the box and aimed a low shot across goal, but Christian Zawieschitzky reacted brilliantly to make the save.

While Salzburg were seeing plenty of the ball, they rarely looked threatening. Rondón, meanwhile, continued to cause problems. On his third attempt, the former Everton striker met a cross with a powerful header that rattled the crossbar.

As the match wore on, Pachuca grew in confidence, beginning to control possession themselves. Palavecino narrowly missed with a shot just wide, and soon after, the former Chelsea man Kenedy linked up well with Rondón before shooting past the post.

Then, against the run of play, Salzburg took the lead. A neat move through the centre saw Oscar Gloukh drift inside, skip past a defender, and bend a superb finish from the edge of the box into the corner – 1-0, punishing Pachuca for their missed opportunities.

The goal shook the Mexican side, who were almost two behind just before half-time. Edmund Baidoo found himself through on goal, rounded the keeper, but Luis Rodríguez got back brilliantly to clear off the line. A second Salzburg goal at that point would have been undeserved, given the number of chances Pachuca had created.

Storm delays and a dramatic second half

The second half began with Pachuca continuing to squander chances. Kenedy played in Rondón again, but the striker’s tame effort was comfortably saved by Zawieschitzky.

Shortly after, the match was halted due to a storm alert. After a lengthy suspension of over an hour and a half, play eventually resumed and Pachuca returned with renewed energy.

Within minutes, they were level. Bryan González stepped up from distance and struck a powerful free-kick that slipped through Zawieschitzky’s hands and into the net. All square, and the momentum seemed to be with the Mexicans.

With John Kennedy introduced from the bench, Pachuca pressed forward in search of a winner. But Salzburg remained composed, and after a smart move down the flank involving Nene Dorgeles and Mads Bidstrup whipped in a pinpoint cross. Karim Onisiwo rose above his marker and powered a header home to restore Salzburg’s lead.

This time, there was no comeback. Despite their promising spells and attacking intent, Pachuca couldn’t find another way through as Salzburg held firm to claim a hard-fought win.