Real Madrid booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup with a 1-0 win over Juventus at Hard Rock Stadium, thanks to a decisive second-half header from Gonzalo Garcia.
The breakthrough came in the 54th minute, capping off a period of sustained pressure from Madrid after a tightly contested first half. The Spanish side will now face the winner of Borussia Dortmund vs Monterrey in the last eight.
It was a strong overall performance from Xabi Alonso’s side, who controlled the second half and created numerous opportunities before eventually converting one. Kylian Mbappe made his return from illness, coming off the bench in the 68th minute for his first appearance of the tournament.
Juventus had started brightly, with Kenan Yildiz and Randal Kolo Muani both threatening early. Yildiz’s deflected effort and Kolo Muani’s attempted chip over Courtois were among the Italian side’s best chances in the opening half.
However, Real gradually took control. Jude Bellingham was at the heart of Madrid’s attacking play, drawing two strong saves from Michele Di Gregorio and linking well with Federico Valverde, whose long-range strike narrowly missed the target.
Trent Alexander-Arnold also added to Madrid’s momentum with a dangerous low cross just before the break. After the restart, Real’s pressure continued until Garcia’s header broke the deadlock.
Dean Huijsen forced a strong save shortly after, but Juventus couldn’t mount a comeback as Madrid saw out the match professionally.
Madrid now turn their attention to the quarter-finals, where they’ll look to continue their momentum against either Dortmund or Monterrey.
