Real Madrid begins its participation in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup on Wednesday with a semifinal showdown against Japanese club Kashima Antlers. The winner moves on to Saturday's final, and these two teams have a bit of history. They met in the 2016 final after Kashima upset Atletico Nacional in the semifinals, and the Japanese team even took the lead on Real in the final. That match went to extra time, with Real winning 4-2. So here's a chance at revenge against a team that has proven to be prone to an upset this season.
Here's how you can watch the match and what to know:
Club World Cup: Real Madrid vs. Kashima
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 19
- Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi
- TV channel: FS2 and Telemundo
- Streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: N/A
Storylines
Real Madrid: Taking a break from La Liga, Real returns to the Club World Cup for the third straight year, looking for its third straight title. This may just be the year a team from Europe slips up, as Los Blancos have hardly looked sharp in what's been a rocky start to the season. No team is more talented in the competition, but others are playing better together than this group, which has really dropped off since Cristiano Ronaldo's summer departure to Juventus.
Kashima: The AFC Champions League winners are riding high entering this competition with former Santos man Serginho providing quite the boost. The club knocked off Mexican club Chivas in the quarterfinals to set up this date with Real Madrid, and payback will be on their mind.
Real Madrid vs. Kashima Antlers prediction
Real has a little trouble early but puts the game away late to move on to the final.
Pick: Real Madrid
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