Salzburg vs Al Hilal Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025 FIFA Club World Cup | Group Stage
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Red Bull Salzburg are perhaps among the most fortunate qualifiers for this tournament, but they managed a win in their opener as they now take on Al Hilal this weekend.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV & online: UK – DAZN / US – DAZN
Salzburg team news: Nothing fresh
There are no fresh injury concerns or suspension issues for Salzburg to concern themselves with ahead of their clash with Al Hilal. They do, though, remain without players such as Nicolas Capaldo and Daouda Guindo, who missed out on the squad.
Predicted XI (4-2-2-2): Zawieschitzky; Lainer, Gadou, Rasmussen, Kratzig; Bidstrup, Sulzbacher; Dorgeles, Gloukh; Baidoo, Ratkov
Unavailable:
Questionable:
Al Hilal team news: Mitro a doubt
Aleksandar Mitrovic missed out on the Al Hilal squad against Real Madrid the other day and his involvement in this clash would also therefore have to be viewed as a doubt, whilst fellow attacker, Kaio, is unavailable for the Saudi Arabians.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Bono; Cancelo, Tambakti, Koulibaly, Renan Lodi; Neves, N. Al Dawsari; Malcom, Milinkovic-Savic, S. Al Dawsari; Marcos Leonardo
Unavailable: Kaio (Injured)
Questionable: Mitrovic (Injured)
Key stats
- Against Pachuca, Salzburg became the first Austrian team to play and win a FIFA club competition match.
- Salzburg selected the youngest starting 11 of any team at the tournament in the first round of matches, with an average age of 22.7.
- Eight of the starting 11 for Salzburg against Pachuca were under the age of 23, including three teenagers – the most of any side in the opening round of games.
- Against Pachuca, at the age of 18 years and 47 days, Salzburg’s Christian Zawieschitzky became the youngest keeper to make an appearance at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™ – he is 26 years younger than the oldest: 44-year-old Fábio of Fluminense FC.
- Salzburg have won ten and drawn four of their last 17 contests in all competitions (W10 D4 L3).
- Salzburg have scored two or more goals in their last five outings in all competitions.
- Al Hilal have lost only one of their last 11 outings in all competitions (W6 D4 L1) and are now unbeaten in six (W4 D2 L0).
- Al Hilal have scored in each of their last 15 competitive matches.
- Al Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi won twice against Salzburg with Inter in the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2023/24 (1-0 a, 2-0 h). His other meetings against the Austrian club were as Lazio coach in the 2017/18 Europa League round of 16; the Italian club lost the first leg 4-1 in Salzburg and were eliminated on aggregate despite a 4-2 victory in the second leg.
- After saving two penalties in Morocco’s shoot-out victory over Spain in the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup 2022™, Yassine Bounou once again demonstrated his spot-kick-saving prowess when he saved Federico Valverde’s penalty in Al Hilal’s opening fixture.
- Al Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly played in three European club competition matches against Salzburg for Napoli in 2018/19 and 2019/20 (W2 D1).
Salzburg vs Al Hilal prediction
Red Bull Salzburg qualified from Europe as one of the highest eligible sides from the UEFA coefficient as a result of so many countries already having the maximum two entrants. Despite their fortune, they made the most of it with a 2-1 defeat of Mexican side Pachuca in their opening game the other day.
Simone Inzaghi departed Internazionale after the UEFA Champions League final for Al Hilal and his first game in charge of ‘the boss’, as they are nicknamed, saw them share a 1-1 draw with 15-time European champions Real Madrid in a game in which Al Hilal were perhaps slightly the better of the two sides.
Salzburg are a side that play in transition and that may well be suited to play against a possession-based Saudi outfit but the clash of styles does mean it should be a good bet for the neutral.
Salzburg vs Al Hilal tip: Both teams to score
