Real Madrid vs Club America live: Cristiano Ronaldo goal given after video referee referral to seal semi-final win

Follow the latest from the Fifa Club World Cup semi-final in Japan

Karim Benzema celebrates putting Real Madrid ahead against Club America (Reuters)

Real Madrid are through to the Fifa Club World Cup final after securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over Mexican side Club America, setting up a final clash against Japanese side Kasima Antlers in Tokyo on Sunday to decide the club champions of the world. Re-live the action here.

• Real Madrid beat Club America 2-0
• Real take first-half lead through Karim Benzema goal
• Cristiano Ronaldo doubles the advantage in final minutes
• Ronaldo's goal originally disallowed for offside before being reviewed on video
• Ronaldo had earlier struck the post twice
• Real to play Asian champions Kasima Tokyo in Sunday's final
• Club America to feature in 3rd-place play-off against Atletico Nacional

Follow the live action below...

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A big game for…

Rubens Sambueza. The Club America club captain is hoping to return to the starting XI to offer his team more control and bite in the centre of the park as they attempt to pull off a surprise victory over Madrid. Should he feature, Sambueza will need to recreate the sort of form which has seen him rack up four goals and nine assists this season. As club captain, Thursday’s semi-final comes a big game for the Argentine.

Best stat…

35 - The number of matches that reigning European champions Real Madrid have gone since they last lost. Their longest unbeaten run in 27 years, it comprises 26 wins and nine draws in all competitions and stretches back to April.

Rubens Sambueza in action against TP Mazembe's Given Singuluma (Getty)

Player to watch…

Karim Benzema. The Frenchman was rested for the side’s 3-2 La Liga win over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday and is expected to return to play in Thursday’s semi-final. After bagging a brace in his last appearance against Borussia Dortmund, America will need to keep an eye on the 28-year-old.

Last meeting…

The most recent meeting between the two sides came in a friendly match back in August 2010. Madrid emerged victorious on that occasion, with Cristiano Ronaldo striking late to end the game 3-2.

The last meeting between the two came in August 2010 (Getty)

Predicted teams...

Club America: Munoz, Valdez, Samudio, Arroyo, Goltz, Aguilar, Sambueza, Da Silva, Peralta, Quintero, Romero.

Real Madrid: Navas, Danilo, Marcelo, Varane, Ramos, Kroos, Modric, Isco, Vasquez, Ronaldo, Benzema.

What’s been said….

Club America coach Ricardo La Volpe: “It’s players and not shirts that win games. We’ll go out to play Real Madrid without any kind of burden on our shoulders. We have to work twice as hard to make sure we’ve got two men up against every one of theirs all across the pitch. We’re going to play a great side and we’re going to see what we’re made of.”

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos: “We’d like to get the Champions Badge back. The Club World Cup gives us the chance to test ourselves against other styles of play that we’re perhaps not so used to. We have new goals to achieve, and new records to break. There are always new challenges.”

Form guide...

Club America: WWDWD

Real Madrid: WDDWW

Vital information...

Kick-off: 15 December, Yokohama, Japan, 10.30 (UTC)

TV: The game is not being broadcast in the UK. Follow our live blog for minute-by-minute updates.

[15 December 2016 10:36 · Samuel Lovett]

4 min: Club America claim the first corner, conceded by Daniel Carvajal. It's whipped in to the near post but Varane rises highest to clear the danger.

[15 December 2016 10:39 · Samuel Lovett]

7 min: Madrid continue to press on and it's Marcelo with a dangerous in-swinging ball from the left-flank that zips threateningly to the centre of the America box. Ronaldo is lurking nearby but Valdez gets his head to it to nod the ball beyond the reach of the Ballon d'Or winner and out for a corner kick...Nothing comes of it and America calmly boot the ball clear.

[15 December 2016 10:42 · Samuel Lovett]

10 min: Lucas Vazquez latches onto the end of a miss-pass from Marcelo inside the America box and, turning on a sixpence, manages to lose his marker before drifting to the near post on the left. He's quickly closed down though and ends up settling for a corner.

[15 December 2016 10:45 · Samuel Lovett]

12 min: Chance for America! Renato Ibarra bolts down the right-flank, taking it past Marcelo in the process, and cuts it back to the edge of the box where the incoming Da Silva strikes it first time. His effort curls towards the top left-hand corner but just fizzes wide of the post. Close but no cigar.

[15 December 2016 10:47 · Samuel Lovett]

16 min: Madrid are just going through the motions as they casually string it across their back line, looking for the space to open up. The moment finally arises and Ronaldo is threaded down the left-hand side touchline but Alvarado is on him in an instant to deny the Portuguese entry. He sticks in a strong foot to force the ball out for a throw-in.

[15 December 2016 10:49 · Samuel Lovett]

18 min: Kroos with a corner on the left. He opts for the short ball to Vazquez who ends up delivering but America's 'keeper Munoz punches clear the danger.

[15 December 2016 10:52 · Samuel Lovett]

21 min: To give America credit, they're putting up a fight here and proving a threat. Ibarra pounces on Marcelo's poor touch inside his own the Madrid final third and seizes possession. From there, he pushes the ball to his right before letting loose with a low-driven shot across goal but Navas is on hand to deny the player.

[15 December 2016 10:53 · Samuel Lovett]

22 min: Free-kick for Madrid after Ronaldo is felled inside the Club America final third. It's the Portuguese who strikes...but he fires straight into the wall.

[15 December 2016 10:55 · Samuel Lovett]

24 min: Another Madrid free-kick, but this time a bit further back. Kroos takes on set-piece duty and whips in his delivery from the right but the America defence holds strong under the mounting Madrid pressure.

[15 December 2016 10:58 · Samuel Lovett]

26 min: Madrid hit the post! After initially kicking off the attack, it was Ronaldo who made contact with Vazquez's well-placed delivery from the right-hand side byline. Rising at the far post, the Portuguese beat Goltz to the ball but could only find the post as it bounced back out to the waiting Benzema. The Frenchman, caught off-guard, panicked as he lashed wildly at the ball only to completely misplace his shot.