Real Madrid begins its quest for a third straight FIFA Club World Cup championship and a fourth in five years when it plays Japan's Kashima Antlers in the semifinals in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
Kashima Antlers entered in the second round of the competition and edged Concacaf Champions League winner Chivas Guadalajara 3-2 to reach the semifinals. The UEFA Champions League winner enters in the semifinal round and is at an advantage that typically pays off. The European entrant has won the last five and nine of the last 10 Club World Cups, a competition that features the continental club champions from around the world.