FC Red Bull Salzburg vs Al Hilal in a pivotal Group H encounter at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, with both sides seeking their first victory of the tournament. Salzburg fell 2-1 to Pachuca in their opener, while Al Hilal earned a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid. The Austrian champions will count on their trademark high-pressing, youthful approach, led by rising star Oscar Gloukh, while Al Hilal rely on their depth and international experience, featuring players like João Cancelo and Sergej Milinković-Savić. With group qualification at stake, this clash is expected to be intense and could play a key role in deciding who progresses to the knockout stage.
Recent Team Form
A look at recent form for both teams heading into their clash:
FC Red Bull Salzburg
In their last six matches (home and away across domestic league and European competition), Salzburg have shown a mixed but energetic performance: 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses.
• Home form: 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses—showing resilience but occasional drops.
• Away form: similarly, 1 win, 1 draw, and 2 losses in the most recent away outings.
They tend to be involved in high-scoring affairs—over 2.5 goals in more than half their fixtures—and average approximately 1.5 goals scored and 1.7 conceded per match.
Al Hilal
Al Hilal have been in strong form in the Saudi Pro League, with their last six matches yielding 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss.
Goals have flown in for them: averaging around 2.8 goals per game, with four clean sheets in those six matches .
A broader season view shows a stellar 23–6–5 record (W-D-L), excelling both at home (13–2–2) and away (10–4–3), with 95 goals scored and just 41 conceded over 34 matches.
Team Details
An overview of both teams heading into their Salzburg vs Al Hilal clash:
FC Red Bull Salzburg
Club Overview & Leadership
Red Bull Salzburg are coached by Pepijn Lijnders, who took over from Thomas Letsch in December 2024. They play at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg and finished 3rd in the Austrian Bundesliga 2024–25 season .
Key Squad Members
Oscar Gloukh: Club’s league top scorer with 9 goals.
Mads Bidstrup (club captain, midfield) and Aleksa Terzić (left-back) anchor the youthful lineup.
Alexander Schlager provides stability between the posts as first-choice goalkeeper.
Edmund Baidoo, a rising Ghanaian winger, has netted 4 goals in 18 appearances since joining in early 2025.
Style & Achievements
Known for high-pressing and player development, Salzburg topped their domestic cup group but struggled in Europe finishing 3rd in their Champions League group. They qualified for the Club World Cup via playoff rounds but have yet to make an impact on the global stage.
Al Hilal
Club Overview & Leadership
Founded in 1957 and based in Riyadh, Al Hilal are Saudi Arabia’s most decorated club (18 league titles, 4 AFC Champions League wins) . They’ve appeared in four previous Club World Cups, finishing runners-up in 2022.
Simone Inzaghi, former Inter Milan coach, took the helm in June 2025 on a lucrative contract through 2027, bringing European pedigree.
Key Squad Members
Yassine Bounou (Moroccan international) guards the net alongside seasoned backliners like Kalidou Koulibaly .
Midfield rock provided by Rúben Neves and Sergej Milinković‑Savić, both key in recent matches .
Attack threat includes Salem Al‑Dawsari, Aleksandar Mitrović, and João Cancelo, making them a star‑studded unit .
Form & Tactics
Al Hilal ended the 2024–25 Saudi Pro League in second and have been prolific in front of goal this season (Mitrović bagged 40 goals in 43 games). They drew 1‑1 with Real Madrid under Inzaghi’s first match on June 18—an impressive international statement.
Predicted Lineup
The predicted starting lineups for each team in a common tactical setup:
FC Red Bull Salzburg (likely 4‑2‑2‑2)
Based on their previous XI vs Pachuca, Salzburg are expected to start:
GK: Schlager
RB: Lainer
CBs: Gadou, Mellberg
LB: Krätzig
DMs: Kawamura, Bidstrup (captain)
AMs: Nene, Gloukh
CFs: Baidoo, Ratkov
• Pre-match tool predicted a full squad including Ratkov and Bannister in attack.
• This formation reflects their dynamic pressing and fluid forward play.
Al‑Hilal (likely 4‑3‑3 or 4‑1‑2‑3)
GK: Yassine Bounou
RB: Joao Cancelo
CBs: Al‑Bulayhi, Koulibaly
LB: Renan Lodi
Midfield: Neves, Kanno, Milinković‑Savić
Front 3: Malcom (RW), Marcos Leonardo (CF), Salem Al‑Dawsari (LW/cap)
• A strong midfield engine of Neves‑Kanno‑Milinković‑Savić
• A frontline that blends creativity, penalty threat, and aerial presence.
Importance of Salzburg vs Al Hilal
This match holds crucial significance for both teams in the context of Group H:
1. Knockout Qualification at Stake
• Both Salzburg and Al Hilal are without a win after their first group matches (Salzburg lost to Pachuca, Al Hilal drew with Real Madrid).
• With only two teams advancing from the group, a loss here could almost eliminate Salzburg and heavily pressure Al Hilal in their final group game.
2. Momentum & Confidence
• Salzburg need to bounce back to keep hopes alive and show resilience on the world stage.
• For Al Hilal, a win here would boost confidence and potentially set up a qualification clash or even secure early progression depending on other results.
3. Showcase of Styles
• The match is also a test of European youth development (Salzburg) vs Saudi-financed experience and international stars (Al Hilal), reflecting modern global football dynamics.
4. Regional Pride
• A win for Salzburg would be a major moment for Austrian football internationally.
• A strong performance by Al Hilal reinforces the rise of Saudi clubs in global competitions and could reaffirm their place among elite non-European teams.
Conclusion
The Salzburg vs Al Hilal clash is more than just a group stage fixture—it’s a must-win battle with high stakes. Salzburg must recover from their opening loss to stay alive in the tournament, while Al Hilal have the momentum and talent to push for early qualification. The match promises an exciting contrast in styles: Salzburg’s youthful intensity versus Al Hilal’s experience and star power. With advancement on the line, both teams are expected to come out with urgency and purpose, making this a potentially defining moment in Group H.
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