Real Madrid edge Juventus 1-0 to secure Club World Cup quarter-final spot

Real Madrid edge Juventus 1-0 to secure Club World Cup quarter-final spot
Juventus missed key chances despite a strong start to the match.
Mbappe returned from illness as Real Madrid sealed a narrow 1-0 win.

Gonzalo Garcia’s second-half header secured Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Juventus on Tuesday at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, as the Spanish giants booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup.

Real Madrid will now face the winner of the clash between Borussia Dortmund and Mexico’s Monterrey in the next round.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that it was a solid performance from Xabi Alonso’s men, with the day further boosted by the return of Kylian Mbappe, who made his first appearance of the tournament as a 68th-minute substitute after recovering from illness.

The first half was competitive, with Igor Tudor’s Juventus starting on the front foot. Randal Kolo Muani missed an early chance after being set up by Kenan Yildiz, chipping over the bar. Yildiz later fired a deflected shot narrowly wide as Juventus pressed forward.

Real Madrid gradually gained control, with Jude Bellingham forcing a strong save from Michele Di Gregorio before Federico Valverde and Trent Alexander-Arnold added further pressure. The momentum carried into the second half as Madrid created several chances, with Bellingham and Valverde going close.

The breakthrough finally came in the 54th minute when Alexander-Arnold floated in a well-placed cross from the right, and Garcia met it with a powerful header to score his third goal in four games.

Juventus pushed back, with Francisco Conceicao testing Thibaut Courtois, and Nicolas Gonzalez firing just wide from distance. But Madrid remained dangerous, with Valverde nearly scoring an overhead kick and Arda Guler forcing another save from Di Gregorio.