(Top L to R) Real Madrid's Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid's Spanish defender Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid's German midfielder Toni Kroos, Real Madrid's French defender Raphael Varane, Real Madrid's Spanish midfielder Marcos Llorente, Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema, (bottom L to R) Real Madrid's Spanish midfielder Lucas Vazquez, Real Madrid's Welsh forward Gareth Bale, Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Marcelo, Real Madrid's Spanish defender Dani Carvajal and Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric pose for a group picture during the semi final football match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2018 tournament between Japan's Kashima Antlers and Spain's Real Madrid at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on December 19, 2018. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)
Real Madrid player ratings vs Kashima Antlers: Bale bags a hat-trick
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – DECEMBER 19: Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid in action during the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final match between Kashima Antlers and Real Madrid at Zayed Sports City Stadium on December 19, 2018 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) (Photo by Michael Regan – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Real Madrid have their eyes set on a third successive crown from the FIFA Club World Cup after beating Kashima Antlers by a 3-1 margin on Wednesday.
Real Madrid sealed passage into the final of the FIFA Club World Cup as they seek to win it for a third season in a row. Los Blancos defeated Japanese giants and Asian champions Kashima Antlers by a 3-1 margin to set up a date with United Arab Emirates based side Al Ain in the ultimate match on Saturday evening.
All eyes in the match were on Gareth Bale who scored a hat-trick for the Whites and was named man of the match at the end of it. The first and third goals were assisted by the dangerous Marcelo, while Bale’s second was a capitalization on a mistake committed thanks to a blunder in the Kashima defence.
Shoma Doi scored a goal for the hosts but that turned out to be only a souvenir of their clash against the European champions after the Whites deservingly marched into the final at the back of a hard-fought yet commanding victory. While Bale obviously grabbed the headlines by scoring a treble, Marcelo was amazing throughout the match as well.
Now, let us have a look at the player ratings for Real Madrid following their victory in the semi-final on Wednesday.
Goalkeeper- Thibaut Courtois- 7/10
Thibaut Courtois had a decent evening in which he did not have to do anything. In his debut at the FIFA Club World Cup, the Belgium international would have hoped to keep a clean sheet, but that was sadly not the case as the Japanese team did bag a goal late on. Courtois will be hoping for better things in the final.
