FC Salzburg vs Real Madrid Tips, Predictions and Bet Builder

FC Salzburg and Real Madrid have both banked four points from their first two matches in Group H of the Club World Cup.

Real, five-time winners of the competition, are hot favourites to seal top spot in the group with a victory over Salzburg in Philadelphia.

Neither team can afford a slip-up on Club World Cup matchday three as Al Hilal, just two points behind, take on already eliminated Pachuca in Friday's other game.

FC Salzburg vs Real Madrid Tips Summary

Market	Tip	Odds
Match Result	Real Madrid	2/7
Best Bet	Real Madrid to win to nil	6/4
Bet Builder	Real Madrid-Real Madrid Half Time/Full Time, Under 3.5 cards, Arda Guler to score	6/1

Key Match Stats

• FC Salzburg lost seven of their eight UEFA Champions League matches in 2024/25

• Both teams scored in nine of FC Salzburg's last 11 games

• Real Madrid won five of their last eight La Liga matches to nil

• Real have scored at least twice in seven of their last eight games

• Real have been leading at half-time in five of their last seven matches in all competitions

FC Salzburg vs Real Madrid Prediction

Best Bet: Real Madrid to win to nil @ 6/4

Real beat Pachuca 3-1 on matchday two despite having centre-back Raul Asencio sent off in the seventh minute and they can shut out Salzburg on Friday.

Los Blancos are not yet assured of a top-two finish, but they thrashed Salzburg 5-1 in the UEFA Champions League in January and should be too strong for the Austrians again.

Salzburg edged past Pachuca 2-1 in their opener before a 0-0 draw with Al Hilal and they may struggle to land a blow on Real's defence.

James Milton explains:

Real's 10 men claimed an impressive win over Pachuca last time out and Salzburg had a tough time in the UEFA Champions League, leaking 27 goals in eight games.

FC Salzburg vs Real Madrid Bet Builder Tip

• Real Madrid-Real Madrid Half Time/Full Time

• Under 3.5 cards

• Arda Guler to score
  

  Pays 6/1

Real have been ahead at the break in five of their last seven matches and they should be backed to be leading at half-time and full-time.

Under 3.5 cards looks a solid selection for this Bet Builder as there have been only three bookings in Salzburg's first two matches at the tournament. 

Arda Guler hit the crossbar in Real's draw with Al Hilal and scored an excellent goal in their win over Pachuca, so he is worth backing to get on the scoresheet on Friday.

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James Milton adds:

Real were 4-0 up after 55 minutes in January's UEFA Champions League clash with Salzburg and they should take charge early on again. Arda Guler has been bright in both of games and the first four matches in this group have produced only nine cards.

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Tactics, Form and Team News

FC Salzburg had a chastening UEFA Champions League campaign in 2024/25, losing their last four matches 5-0 to Bayer Leverkusen, 3-0 to Paris Saint-Germain, 5-1 to Real Madrid and 4-1 to Atletico Madrid.

No team conceded more league-phase goals than Salzburg's 27, although they kept their first clean sheet in 11 games in the 0-0 draw with Al Hilal last time out.

Thomas Letsch is likely to stick with a 4-2-2-2 formation in which top scorer Nene Dorgeles, who was linked with Manchester United in January, is the main attacking threat.

Expected FC Salzburg line-up (4-2-2-2): Zawiwschitzky; Lainer, Gadou, Rasmussen, Kratzig; Bidstrup, Diabate; Nene Dorgeles, Gloukh; Baidoo, Onisiwo.

Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe may sit out this game as he continues his recovery from illness, so Gonzalo Garcia - who scored against Al Hilal on matchday one - is set to lead the line.

New signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen should continue in defence and centre-back Antonio Rudiger will replace the suspended Asencio.

Rodrygo, who scored twice in the UEFA Champions League win over Salzburg, is pushing for a recall on the right wing, although Federico Valverde, one of Real's goalscorers against Pachuca, may retain his place.

Expected Real Madrid line-up (4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, F Garcia; Guler, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Valverde, G Garcia, Vinicius Jr.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.