Vazquez is clumsily fouled by Boussoufa just outside of the Al Jazira penalty area, presenting Madrid with one final chance to test Al Senani. Asensio steps up and shoots, but his curling effort is sent too near to the goalkeeper and is comfortably parried away.
90' +2
Al Jazira are almost presented with a late opportunity to hit Madrid on a quick counter-attack, but after good work from Boussoufa out wide, Rabee can't quite control the ball under pressure from two defenders and immediately loses out.
90'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be three minutes of added time.
89'
It's all Madrid at the moment as they patiently knock the ball around and run down the clock. The Al Jazira players look understandably shattered, and they're struggling to apply much pressure on their opponents as the game nears its conclusion.
87'
Almost a spectacular goal for Bale! A looping cross is launched into the middle of the Al Jazira box and picks out Bale, who pulls off a wonderful scissor kick that's really well saved by Al Senani. What a way that would have been for Madrid to all but wrap up the win!
85'
Unsurprisingly, Madrid are now in less of a rush to push forward as they patiently work the ball around inside the Al Jazira half of the pitch. They're have to watch out on the break, however, as their opponents are still managing to cause them a few problems when they counter-attack.
83'
Vazquez finds himself in a pocket of space midway inside the Al Jazira half of the pitch and quickly shoots, but his effort lacks the power needed to beat Al Senani and is easily dealt with by the substitute goalkeeper.
81'
G. Bale enters the game and replaces K. Benzema.
G. Bale has scored a goal for Real Madrid! Assist by Lucas Vázquez.
That was a nice cut-back by Vazquez, who latched onto an even better pass from Marcelo. The Brazilian floated a lovely ball into the box and straight to the substitute, who made a good run towards the byline.
Madrid have made a late alteration, with Gareth Bale coming on to take the place of Benzema. It looks as if Ronaldo is going to move centrally.
GOAL! What an introduction by Bale! The Welshman immediately gets involved in the action after linking up well with Vazquez, and he then fires a well-placed shot past Al Senani and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net after the strike is left by Ronaldo. Madrid finally lead!
80'
Benzema goes close to making it 2-1! A lovely, curling cross is fired into the heart of the Al Jazira penalty area and looks set to pick out Benzema, but the ball narrowly misses the Frenchman before being nodded behind by Ayed.
78'
A Madrid attacking move fails to result in a chance on goal, and Al Jazira counter-attack quickly. Boussoufa charges down the left flank and tries to pick out Rabee just outside of the box, but Navas darts out to deal with the Moroccan's pass with a headed clearance.
Minute
Description
76'
Vazquez slips into the left-hand side of the Al Jazira penalty area and is the latest Madrid player to get a shot away, but he can't guide it through a sea of white shirts and sees his effort deflected away from danger without too many problems.
74'
Another corner causes problems for the Al Jazira defence as it curls over to the far post and finds Casemiro, but the Brazilian's downward header is slightly misplaced and bounces a yard or two wide of the goal.
73'
Great chance for Rabee! The substitute makes an immediate impact as he bursts into the right-hand side of the Madrid penalty area on a great run before testing Navas, but his deflected shot is blasted away by Varane after just about managing to get the better of the Costa Rican goalkeeper.
72'
Ahmed Rabia enters the game and replaces Yaqoob Yousef.
Al Jazira have made their third and final alteration of the evening, with Ahmed Rabee coming on to replace Yaqoub Yousef.
71'
Another dangerous cross causes problems for the Al Jazira defence, who are just about able to poke the ball behind for another corner. It's sent short and worked over to Asensio, who shoots from 25 yards out but can't quite find the top left-hand corner of the net with his curling strike.
70'
Ronaldo almost makes it 2-1! Marcelo cuts inside from the left wing and looks set to tee up a team-mate in front of goal, but a group of white shirts make sure the ball rolls behind for a corner. The set-piece is swung into the heart of the box and picks out Ronaldo, who rises high and sends a downward header just wide of the far post.
69'
Benzema hits the post again! The Frenchman is presented with another great opportunity to fire in Madrid's second goal of the game, but this time a deflected shot from the edge of the penalty area hits the woodwork after leaving Al Senani rooted to the spot.
68'
Mohammed Ayed gets yellow.
Lucas Vázquez enters the game and replaces M. Kovačić.
Marco Asensio enters the game and replaces Isco.
Madrid have made a double substitution as they try to find a way in front. The first player to make way is Isco, who's replaced by Marco Asensio.
Another attempted Al Jazira attack breaks down and allows Madrid to fly forward through Isco, who charges towards the halfway line before being cynically fouled by Ayed, earning the defender a booking.
And the second is Kovacic, with Lucas Vazquez taking his place.
67'
Chance for Romarinho! The Brazilian has struggled to get on the ball today, but he's looked deadly every time he's in possession. Once again, he counter-attacks quickly and gets himself into a good position, and this time he swings a 20-yard shot just wide of Navas' near post.
66'
Benzema hits the post! Another excellent through-ball finds its way through the Al Jazira back line and straight to Benzema, who quickly beats Al Senani with a thumping shot but ends up smashing the far post.
64'
A determined Madrid move fails to result in a chance on goal, and Al Jazira are finally presented with a great opportunity to counter-attack. Romarinho darts through the middle of the pitch and sets up Mabkhout just inside the penalty area, but the forward fails to shoot quickly enough and eventually loses out before he can move the ball onto a team-mate.
62'
Great save by Al Senani! Benzema is left all alone as he sprints into the Al Jazira box and towards goal. He only has Al Senani to beat, but his thumping low strike is brilliantly parried away by the goalkeeper before it can find the back of the net.
60'
Eissa Al Otaiba enters the game and replaces Khalifa Al Hammadi.
Al Jazira have made their second change of the game, with Eissa Mohamed coming on to replace Alhammadi.
59'
Another chance for Benzema! Marcelo skips into the left-hand side of the Al Jazira penalty area and fizzes a dangerous pass across the face of goal. It looks set to pick out Benzema, but, despite his best efforts, the striker can't quite get a toe on the ball.
58'
Madrid come back once again, and this time it's Benzema who manages to get a shot away from 25 yards out. It's well hit by the Frenchman, but his low strike is well saved by the substitute goalkeeper.
57'
Another deep cross is fired into the Al Jazira box after Isco manages to carve out a pocket of space for himself deep down the left wing, but he puts too much power behind his pass and fails to pick out a team-mate in front of goal.
55'
A curling cross from Hakimi looks set to pick out Ronaldo, but the forward goes down after receiving a flailing arm to the face and Al Jazira quickly counter-attack. Boussoufa gets himself into a good position out wide and does well to pick out Romarinho, but the Brazilian can't do much with the ball just outside of the box and is eventually dispossessed.
53'
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored a goal for Real Madrid! Assist by L. Modrić.
GOAL! Ronaldo equalises for Madrid! A lovely through-ball from Modric splits the Al Jazira defence in two and perfectly picks out Ronaldo. The Portuguese gets the better of his marker and quickly shoots, and his low effort easily manages to find the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
That was a great pass from Modric to pick out Ronaldo inside the box, but Al Jazira will be disappointed with their defending. They were caught out of position and allowed Ronaldo to skip into the penalty area far too easily.
51'
Khaled Al Senaani enters the game and replaces Ali Khaseif.
Khaseif receives a rousing round of applause from both sets of fans as he's replaced by Khaled Al Senani.
50'
This doesn't look good for Khaseif, who has been struggling with an injury since early on in the game and now seems as if he's going to have to finally make way. He's been absolute rock this evening and looks totally devastated.
48'
Al Jazira think they've made it 2-0, but it's ruled out for offside! A Madrid corner is easily dealt with by Al Jazira, allowing them counter-attack quickly. Their opponents have absolutely nobody back to defend, allowing Mabkhout to burst into the box before teeing up Boussoufa for the simplest of tap ins. The crowd go crazy, but the referee is quick to rule out to the goal for offside. Huge call!
46'
We're underway once again!
45' +4
Isco is bundled over deep down the left flank, resulting in a free-kick for Madrid in a very promising position. Isco's cross into the box is a good one, but there are several white shirts there to clear the danger at the near post.
45' +2
Another great chance for Ronaldo! The forward breaks into the right-hand side of the Al Jazira penalty area and latches onto an excellent through-ball before shooting, but the angle is closed down well by Khaseif and he can't quite get the better of the goalkeeper.
45' +1
Hakimi is left all alone over on the right wing, allowing him to pick up the ball in acres of space before cutting a pass back to Isco. The Spaniard looks set to shoot from just inside the penalty area, but he has the ball poked away from him by Khalifa Alhammadi at the last possible moment.
45'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be four minutes of added time.
44'
Marcelo charges down the left flank and gets himself into a really good position before swinging a cross into the Al Jazira box. It looks set to pick out Ronaldo, but Ayed gets a head on the pass before the Portuguese can and ball eventually falls into the hands of Khaseif.
43'
Madrid look incredibly riled up as they pile plenty of bodies forward in search of an equaliser. Modric eventually pokes a clever pass into the penalty area and towards Benzema, who tries to rush onto the ball but can't quite get to it ahead of Khaseif.
41'
Romarinho has scored a goal for Al Jazira! Assist by M. Boussoufa.
Boussoufa did really well to close down Casemiro and force him into making the error, but the Brazilian midfielder really should have done better. He spent far too long on the ball and was made to pay for his clumsy mistake.
GOAL! Al Jazira have taken the lead! Casemiro is caught sleeping deep inside the Madrid half of the pitch, allowing Boussoufa to pick his pocket before setting up Romarinho. The Brazilian breaks into the box and gets the better of Hakimi, who allows the striker to side-foot a lovely shot past Keylor Navas and into the bottom corner of the net. Unbelievable!
39'
Modric picks up the ball on the edge of the Al Jazira box and quickly pokes a clever pass into the path of Hakimi. The youngster runs onto it and fizzes a dangerous ball across the face of goal, but neither Benzema nor Ronaldo can reach it at either post.
38'
Another determined Madrid attacking move results in a corner for the Spanish side over on the left wing. It's dealt with well by Al Jazira and bounces out to Modric, who shoots but can't guide his strike through the sea of white shirts camped in front of him.
36'
Al Jazira have had to work incredibly hard so far, and it's no surprise that a few of their players are starting to feel the effects. Ayed is the latest to drop to the floor with what looks to be an injury, but he should be able to continue after a few moments.
34'
Madrid immediately burst forward from the restart as they try to put more pressure on the Al Jazira defence, but Hakimi can't find a way into the box after embarking on a marauding run before Ronaldo's attempted shot from 25 yards out is closed down quickly.
32'
OVERRULED! And now the goal has been taken away once again! The referee consults with the VAR and eventually comes to the decision that Benzema was in an offside position and made a clear impact as he battled for the ball at the far post. Now it's Madrid's turn to be frustrated!
30'
The goal seems to have been given! There's some confusion inside the stadium, as it looked as if the referee had ruled out the goal only for it to eventually be given. It now looks as if it's going to go to the VAR, as the Al Jazira players aren't happy at all.
29'
Madrid have the ball in the back of the net, but again it's ruled out! This time it's Casemiro who gets the better of his marker and beats Khaseif with a looping header, but the referee spots an infringement and quickly disallows the goal.
27'
Casemiro is the latest Madrid player to try and test Khaseif, who still isn't moving particularly well since going down injured earlier in the game. The Brazilian's effort is a fierce one, but it's slightly overhit and fails to trouble the Al Jazira shot-stopper.
26'
The resulting set-piece is curled towards the near post and manages to pick out Benzema, who does well to latch onto the ball and looks as if he's won Madrid another corner. The referee doesn't agree, however, and Al Jazira are instead awarded a free-kick, much to the Frenchman's annoyance.
25'
Ball after ball is flung into the Al Jazira penalty area, but the Emirati side are just about able to deal with the danger and block an attempted Ronaldo shot. The ball then bounces out to Kovacic, who shoots from the edge of the box but has to settle for a corner after his effort rolls just wide.
23'
Madrid have the ball in the back of the net, but it won't count! Isco twists and turns over on the left flank before delivering a lovely cross into the box. It picks out Benzema and sets up the striker to beat Khaseif with a downward header, but the referee immediately awards a free-kick to Al Jazira for a push on Mohammed Ali Ayed by Ronaldo.
21'
Al Jazira almost take the lead! The resulting corner finds Raphael Varane, who takes on Khaseif but can't get the better of the goalkeeper. The Emirati side then fly forward on a blisteringly quick counter-attack that ends with Mabkhout, who shoots from 20 yards out but can't quite find the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
20'
Khaseif is on fire! Once again, a cross and a knockdown from Benzema causes all sorts of problems for the Al Jazira defence, allowing Modric to get a shot away from just inside the penalty area. The Croatian's strike is a venemous one, but it's brilliantly stopped by Khaseif.
19'
Al Jazira are finally able to push forward on a decent attack after patiently making their way into the Madrid half of the pitch. They then win themselves a free-kick out wide after Casemiro clumsily handles the ball, but it's slightly overhit by Boussoufa and sails behind.
17'
What a miss by Benzema! Madrid quickly regain possession and carve out yet another chance on goal. This time it's a clever pass from Achraf Hakimi that sets up Benzema, but the striker can't find the back of the net with his bullet header from close range.
16'
Superb from Khaseif once again! The goalkeeper is able to make a recovery and is immediately called into action. Another decent cross from the right flank is curled into the box and finds Benzema, who forces Khaseif into making another great diving save to his left.
15'
This is a concern for Al Jazira, as Khaseif is down on the floor after signalling to the substitutes' bench that he had a problem. He seemed to receive a knock to the leg when pulling off one of the many saves he's already made, and it's left in a spot of bother.
13'
Madrid come back once again after comfortably managing to win the ball back on the halfway line. A looping cross is then fired into the middle of the Al Jazira penalty area and onto the head of Ronaldo, who rises high but can't hit the target with his effort on goal.
12'
Another important Khaseif save! This time it's Benzema who is brought into the game in front of goal, but he's set on by a number of defenders and can't get a decent shot away. His strike ends up rolling over to Ronaldo, who in a pocket of space, unleashes a strike of his own but sees it smothered by the Al Jazira goalkeeper at the near post.
11'
Yet another Madrid attacking move fails to result in the game's opening goal, and Khaseif does really well to kick-start a quick counter-attack down the right wing. Ali Ahmed Mabkhout latches onto the ball, darts into the penalty area and looks set to shoot, but instead he ends up poking a misplaced pass away from Mbark Boussoufa and over to the opposite flank.
10'
Fantastic chance for Ronaldo! Al Jazira lose the ball cheaply deep inside their own half of the pitch and allow their opponents to push forward once again. A clever pass from Modric is poked into the box and finds Benzema, who tees up Ronaldo in a great position in front of goal. The Portuguese looks set to give Madrid the lead, but he's closed down at the vital moment and his deflected strike ends up rolling into the hands of Khaseif.
8'
Khaseif rescues Al Jazira once again! The second corner is sent short and worked over to Modric, who quickly unleashes a thumping low strike. It's well saved by Khaseif and tipped onto the post, and, luckily for the goalkeeper, the ball then deflects off his back and just inches wide of the goal. Madrid could be at least 3-0 up already!
7'
Another wonderful opportunity for Ronaldo! Isco twists and turns over on the right-hand side of the box, but he can't find a way through a group of white shirts and has to settle for a corner. It's whipped into the heart of the penalty area and picks out Ronaldo, who rises high and forces Khaseif into making another great save. Karim Benzema then tries to fire in a follow-up, but his quick shot is deflected behind for another corner.
6'
Great chance for Ronaldo to open the scoring! The forward does really well to burst through the Al Jazira back line and into an acre of space inside the box. He latches onto a curling cross from Isco and looks set to nod in the first goal of the game, but Ali Khaseif is there to parry the effort away at the near post.
4'
More good play by Madrid sees Kovacic tee up Cristiano Ronaldo with a cheeky rabona just outside of the Al Jazira penalty area. The Portuguese controls the ball and then unleashes a thumping strike, but his rocket of a shot ends up looping a few yards over the top of the crossbar.
2'
Almost an early chance for Luka Modric! The Croatian makes a clever run into the Al Jazira penalty area and manages to latch onto a lovely chipped pass from Mateo Kovacic. He looks set to shoot, but the referee penalises him for handball just as Musallem Fayez pokes the ball away from danger.
1'
We're off! Al Jazira get us underway, attacking from left to right.
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Club World Cup semi-final between Al Jazira and Real Madrid at Zayed Sports City Stadium
Today’s clash kicks off Madrid’s quest to be crowned champions of the world for the second year in a row, and it sees them take on an Al Jazira side that have already caused two upsets on their way to the final four. The competition has arguably come at a good time for Los Blancos, who have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks and will be aiming for a morale-boosting and straight-forward win here today.
A lacklustre draw away to Athletic Club earlier in the month was another in a long line of disappointing results for Madrid, who currently sit in fourth place in LaLiga after suffering an underwhelming start to the season. They were able to bounce back with a win - albeit a nervy one - against Dortmund in the Champions League, and they looked back to their best when they thrashed Sevilla 5-0 on the weekend.
The comprehensive victory against Los Rojiblancos was exactly what Madrid needed after a tough few months, and Zinedine Zidane will be hoping his men can add to that win with another positive performance this evening. The Club World Cup may not be their top priority - especially with El Clasico fast approaching - but, at the moment, all wins are certainly welcome for a side trying to rediscover last season’s stellar form.
Few expected Al Jazira to even make it through the play-offs when the competition started last week, but the champions of the United Arab Emirates now find themselves in the semi-finals after knocking out both Auckland City and Urawa Red Diamonds. For some of their players, today’s game represents the biggest of their careers, and what a fairytale story it would be if they’re able to pull off a truly historic upset.
There’s just under 15 minutes left to go until kick-off, so let’s have a look at how the two teams will be lining up this evening…
Real Madrid XI (4-3-1-2): Navas; Hakimi, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo; Modric, Casemiro, Kovacic; Isco; Benzema, Ronaldo.
Al Jazira substitutes: Aleedi, Saeed, Rashidov, Otaiba, Shamsi, Abdulla, Ramadan, Senani, Ghilani, Ameri, Ahmed Al Attas, Ibrahim.
Al Jazira XI (4-4-1-1): Khaseif; Fayez, Ayed, Juma, Obaid; Yousef, Mohamad Al Attas, Boussoufa, Alhammadi; Romarinho; Mabkout.
Henk ten Cate has decided to make just one change to the Al Jazira side that beat Urawa Red Diamonds in the last round of the cup, with Khalifa Alhammadi coming into the starting line-up to replace Salem Abdulla on the left wing.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
Meanwhile, Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has made three alterations to the team that featured in their last outing, with Jesus Vallejo, Lucas Vazquez, Toni Kroos and Marco Asensio making way for Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Mateo Kovacic and Isco, respectively.
Real Madrid substitutes: Moha Ramos, Casilla, Theo, Carvajal, Llorente, Ceballos, Kroos, Vazquez, Asensio, Bale, Mayoral.
HALF-TIME: AL JAZIRA 1-0 REAL MADRID
Well, well, well, I don't think anybody was expecting that! Madrid have absolutely dominated possession so far, but, despite having 17 shots on target, they find themselves a goal down to the champions of the United Arab Emirates at the break. All it took was one shot on target for Al Jazira to find a way in front, with Romarinho managing to capitalise on a poor mistake from Casemiro. The Madrid players look absolutely shocked, and it's no wonder why!
The two teams are making their way back out on to the pitch ahead of the start of the second half. Neither side have made any substitutions during the half-time break.
FULL-TIME: AL JAZIRA 1-2 REAL MADRID
Madrid are into the final of the Club World Cup for the second year in a row but, my word, were they made to work extremely hard! Al Jazira battled admirably from start to finish and made life incredibly difficult for their opponents, who huffed and puffed and just about managed to leave with a win thanks to a late goal from substitute Bale.
Madrid will be hoping for an improved performance against Gremio in Saturday's final. They certainly weren't at their best this evening and struggled to break down a determined Al Jazira back line, which will have concerned Zidane after they showed signs of being back to their best in the comfortable win against Sevilla on the weekend. There's a lot more work to be done, that's for sure.
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