Alexander-Arnold's Magic Seals Victory as Real Madrid Edge Juventus 1-0 in Thrilling Encounter
Real Madrid clinched their spot in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals with a narrow 1-0 triumph against Juventus in a crucial knockout encounter.
Having topped Group H, Real Madrid faced Group G's second-place finishers Juventus in their first meeting in seven years. The Madrid side entered this Club World Cup round of 16 match maintaining their perfect record under new manager Xabi Alonso, while the Turin club arrived following a heavy 5-2 loss to Manchester City.
Both Juventus and Real Madrid exchanged attacking moves during the first 45 minutes at Hard Rock Stadium. Kenan Yıldız and Vinícius Júnior each generated promising chances on their respective ends, though neither young star could find the finishing touch. Jude Bellingham also came close to breaking the deadlock for Real Madrid, but the English midfielder's attempt was denied at the goal line.
Following a scoreless opening period, Real Madrid emerged from halftime with renewed attacking intent. The Spanish club applied constant pressure on Juventus before Gonzalo García found the breakthrough goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered an excellent cross that the 21-year-old Real Madrid Castilla graduate converted with a precise header.
This marked the former Liverpool defender's inaugural goal contribution wearing the white jersey, while García has now netted three times in four Club World Cup matches. The 54th-minute strike proved decisive in securing Real Madrid's victory in Miami.
Los Blancos have now progressed to the Club World Cup quarterfinals, where they await the winner between Borussia Dortmund and Monterrey.
Review the individual player performances from the encounter below.
Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Juventus (3-4-3)
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Thibaut Courtois | 7.9 |
CB: Antonio Rüdiger | 7.1 |
CB: Aurélien Tchouaméni | 7.8 |
CB: Dean Huijsen | 7.4 |
RM: Trent Alexander-Arnold | 7.8 |
CM: Fede Valverde | 8.5 |
CM: Arda Güler | 8.1 |
LM: Fran García | 7.9 |
RW: Jude Bellingham | 7.4 |
ST: Gonzalo García | 7.6 |
LW: Vinícius Júnior | 7.8 |
SUB: Kylian Mbappé (68' for G. García) | 6.4 |
SUB: Luka Modrić (78' for Güler) | 6.2 |
SUB: Dani Ceballos (90' for Valverde) | N/A |
Juventus Player Ratings vs. Real Madrid (3-4-2-1)
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Michele Di Gregorio | 8.4 |
CB: Pierre Kalulu | 6.4 |
CB: Daniele Rugani | 6.9 |
CB: Lloyd Kelly | 6.4 |
RWB: Alberto Costa | 6.8 |
DM: Manuel Locatelli | 6.5 |
DM: Khéphren Thuram | 6.5 |
LWB: Andrea Cambiaso | 6.9 |
AM: Francisco Conceição | 5.8 |
AM: Kenan Yıldız | 6.5 |
ST: Randal Kolo Muani | 6.5 |
SUB: Nicolás González (59' for Kelly) | 6.1 |
SUB: Filip Kostić (46' for Conceição) | 6.3 |
SUB: Teun Koopmeiners (71' for Yıldız) | 6.2 |
SUB: Weston McKennie (86' for Locatelli) | N/A |
SUB: Federico Gatti (86' for Rugani) | N/A |