In the focus match of the second round of Group H of the 2025 Club World Cup, La Liga giants Real Madrid defeated Pachuca 3-1 after Raul Asensio was sent off, thanks to goals from Bellingham, Guler and Valverde. Valverde said that he has always been strict with himself and will learn from his mistakes.

In the 7th minute of the game, Raul Asensio was shown a red card by the referee for pulling down Pachuca striker Rondon, leaving Real Madrid with 10 players. In the 35th minute, Bellingham received a pass from Fran Garcia and shot into the goal from the penalty area, helping Real Madrid take the lead 1-0.

In the 43rd minute, Gonzalo Garcia made a cross and Guler scored with a low shot, helping Real Madrid continue to lead Pachuca 2-0.

In the 70th minute of the second half, Brahim Diaz received a pass from Valverde and made a lob pass to the penalty area, where Valverde fell to the ground and scored, helping Real Madrid extend their lead to 3-0. In the 80th minute, Elias Montiel received the ball at the top of the penalty area and scored with a long shot, helping Pachuca to equalize the game 1-3.

In the end, Real Madrid defeated Pachuca 3-1.

"I'm happy for the team's victory," said Valverde, the 26-year-old Real Madrid midfielder. "I'm trying to adapt to the coach's requirements, which is a little different from when I played as a winger under Ancelotti. The problem is that there are always some obstacles that prevent us from playing exactly as the coach wants."

"There were always things that prevented us from implementing his tactics, including the red card in this game, but we made a great effort and that must be recognized. He changed the way we play. He didn't want the midfielders to drop too deep to win the ball, but to push forward. In the second half, he asked us to control the tempo of the game more."

In addition, in the first round of the group stage, Valverde missed a penalty at a critical moment, and Xabi Alonso's team could only draw 1-1 with Riyadh Victory.

Looking back on that game, Valverde said: "I have been upset in the past few days because I missed the penalty in the match against Al-Hilal and failed to help the team win the game. I take it very seriously because I failed the great effort of the whole team.

"I am my own worst critic and I learn from my mistakes. If the team still wants me to take penalties, I will continue to step up. I have been emotionally depressed for the past few days because of that game, but I am happy to score in this game and help the team with my energy and hard work."