Grêmio’s opponent in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinal will be known this Saturday, December 9, starting at 11am (Brasília time). Pachuca and Wydad will play the first match of the quarter-finals of the United Arab Emirates. The game will be played at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Pachuca’s recent performance
The Mexicans won the right to compete for the world title by winning the CONCACAF Champions League, a federation of Central American, North American and Caribbean nations. He began his preparation period for the tournament shortly after the 2-0 win against Atlante at home by the Mexican Cup. He thus guaranteed the right to play in the final of the tournament. He will play the trophy with Monterrey in the game scheduled for December 22.
In the Mexican Championship, however, Pachuca failed in the Apertura Tournament of the 2017/2018 season. He finished the qualifying round in the twelfth position among 18 contending clubs. With 19 points (five wins, four draws and eight losses), he was six points clear of the Atlas, eighth place, who closed the qualifying round for the decisive stages. The title will be decided between Monterrey and Tigres.
Supporters of the half-full line are able to find a positive point in elimination. He gave the Uruguayan coach Diego Alonso more time for training in order to dispute the Club World Cup.
On the clipboard, Pachuca is an offensive team that uses the 4-3-3 system. In practice, the theory is different. Although it actually uses a line of four defenders protected by three containment handwraps, two athletes from the attacking trio are more concerned about filling the spaces in the midfield than properly pressing the opponent’s defenses. Thus, the club had 23 goals in 17 matches of the first round of the Mexican Championship. Fourth worst attack among the top 12 placed.
Defensively, however, such a strategy did not cause great evolution. With 25 goals conceded, Pachuca has the second most leaked defense when compared to the performance of the same clubs.

The current form of Wydad Casablanca
The conquest of the African Champions League was the springboard for Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca to be able to put its name among the participants of the Club World Cup. To help in its preparation the Moroccan federation has relocated some of its Botola Pro games, league equivalent to the First Division of the local football.
Wydad’s last match in the tournament was played on November 29. As a visitor, the team defeated Moghreb Tetouan 2-1. He thus achieved an unbeaten run of nine games (five wins in four draws). In the Moroccan Championship, he is in the ninth place with 12 points (three wins, three draws and one defeat). They are seven less than Agadir, leader. However, he has three games less than the pointer, which opens the possibility of taking the first place if he can win those commitments that will be made after the World Interclub.
In the African Champions League, Wydad finished first in their group in the qualifying round by reaching 12 points (four wins and two losses). He was extremely economical in the attack, with only seven goals scored, and also in defense, yielding three goals.
In the quarterfinals, he passed Mamelodi, from South Africa with great difficulty. He lost at the home of the rival for 1 to 0, returned the score in his dominions taking the best in the decision by penalties.
In the semifinals Alger of Algeria was easier prey. After a goalless draw in the first leg, the home factor returned to be decisive with a win by 3 to 1.
Al Ahly of Saudi Arabia was the deciding rival and Wydad repeated the recipe. 0 – 1 was the score after the first half. It was 1 – 1 at the break.
Turnaround is the key word in the club’s strategy, which does not seek tactical subterfuges to divert attention from a system that is clearly a 4-5-1. Like Pachuca, socks have as a priority help in marking. The difference is that Wydad has been more successful in this strategy. In the last nine matches, he did not concede a goal in four, and in none of the others did he take more than a try.

History of games between Pachuca and Wydad
This will be the first match involving the teams.

There is no doubt that it will be a game between attack against defense. Wydad will certainly be locked in the defense waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. Although not extremely offensive, Pachuca has an attack with higher technical quality, although its defensive system is not able to inspire confidence.
By having superior technical quality athletes, the Mexican team ends up being the best option for guess. It has a price of 1.75 in Rivalo. Draw presents prize of 3.60 and Moroccan success yields 4.60 per invested real.