Pachuca, led by Venezuelan forward Salomón Rondón and Dutch-Moroccan Oussama Idrissi, will face Al-Ahly of Egypt, the African champions, this Saturday to compete for a place in the prestigious Intercontinental Cup final. The winner will meet Real Madrid in the final in Lusail.

Americas Derby Boosts Pachuca

The team managed by Uruguayan coach Guillermo Almada opened their campaign with an impressive 3-0 victory over Botafogo of Brazil, with goals scored by Oussama Idrissi, Colombian Nelson Deossa, and Salomón Rondón.

This resounding triumph has boosted the confidence of Guillermo Almada's squad. Having eliminated the Copa Libertadores champion, they now believe they have a real chance of advancing to the final and competing for the title against Real Madrid.

As CONCACAF champions, the Tuzos showcased their excellent form in the opening match. However, they cannot afford to underestimate the Egyptian side coached by Swiss tactician Marcel Koller, who also comes into the semifinal strong after a 3-0 win over Al-Ain in the African derby during the quarterfinals.

"Our ambition is to compete in every match. We showed (against Botafogo) that we have character and quality in our team. We came here with dreams, just like everyone else," stated Oussama Idrissi, a former player for Sevilla and Cádiz, among other clubs.

Al-Ahly Relies on Its Experience

Although Al-Ahly, known as the king of African football, will be without key players like Oufa Shobeir, Mohamed Hany, and Karim Fouad due to injuries, they aim to maintain defensive order and capitalize on any attacking opportunities led by Wessam Abou Ali.

"Pachuca is a strong team; they eliminated the South American champion. We watched their match against Botafogo, where they showed a high-level performance, scoring three goals in just 30 minutes," commented midfielder Hussein Elshahat.

History and Context

This will be the second encounter between the two teams in a FIFA tournament. The first was in the quarterfinals of the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, where Pachuca emerged victorious 4-2 after extra time.

The winner of this semifinal will face Real Madrid next Wednesday at the Lusail Stadium, the venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup final where Argentina defeated France in a penalty shootout.

Probable Lineups

Pachuca: Carlos Moreno; Sergio Barreto, Bryan González, Luis Rodríguez, Andrés Micolta; Pedro Pedraza, Arturo González, Nelson Deossa, Elías Montiel; Oussama Idrissi and Salomón Rondón.
Coach: Guillermo Almada.

Al-Ahly: Mohamed Elshenawy; Rami Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Akram Tawfik, Yahya Attiat-Allah; Marawan Attia, Hussein Elshahat, Emam Ashour, Taher Mohamed, Ahmed Koka; Wessam Abou Ali.
Coach: Marcel Koller.

Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran).
Stadium: 974, Doha.
Time: 20:00 local (17:00 GMT / 18:00 CET).