When Egypt’s Al-Ahly met the US Seattle Sounders on 4 February in the FIFA Club World Cup, they both knew the winner among them would be facing a premature final boss: Spain’s Real Madrid. Al-Ahly’s narrow 1-0 win over the Sounders sealed the deal – they will be facing the European giants in the semi-finals on 8 February. Al-Ahly’s game against the Sounders was a tactical one, with the American team dominating in the first half in terms of speed and possession, though not in terms of chances. After having started with the main attacking line on the bench, Al-Ahly manager Marcel Koller subbed in the team’s main forwards in the second half, creating multiple chances and ultimately scoring the decisive goal. There could be no opponent more formidable for Al-Ahly – or any other club for that matter – as Real Madrid is the most successful team in the tournament’s history, with four titles to their name. However, Al-Ahly has had an unerring run in the tournament so far, beating Oceania champions, New Zealand’s Auckland City, by three goals to none, before moving on to their victory against the…
