Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior was the star of the show as the team secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Salzburg to advance to the Club World Cup last 16. The Brazilian opened the scoring just before half-time, capitalizing on a brilliant pass from Jude Bellingham. He then turned provider, setting up Federico Valverde to double Madrid’s lead in added time.
Gonzalo Garcia added a third goal late in the game, sealing Madrid’s unbeaten finish in Group H with seven points. This result sets up a last-16 clash with Juventus in Miami next Tuesday. Unfortunately, Salzburg exited the tournament, with Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia securing second place in the group after defeating Pachuca 2-0. Al Hilal will now face Manchester City in the next round.
Despite missing star striker Kylian Mbappé due to illness, Madrid put on a strong performance in front of a crowd of 64,811 at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. The fans, particularly supportive of Bellingham, cheered on the team as they navigated through cooler conditions.
Under new manager Xabi Alonso, Madrid lined up with a back three and wing-backs, with Vinicius proving to be the difference maker once again. The Brazilian forward, who had previously scored twice against Salzburg in the Champions League, found the back of the net with a clinical finish after being played in by Bellingham.
Salzburg had their chances, but Madrid’s defense held firm. Vinicius was instrumental in Madrid’s second goal, cleverly setting up Valverde to score. Despite Salzburg’s efforts in the second half, they were unable to find a way past Madrid’s defense and were punished late in the game by Garcia’s goal.
Overall, it was a convincing performance from Madrid as they continue to adapt to Alonso’s tactics. The team will now turn their attention to the knockout stages of the Club World Cup, where they will face a tough test against Juventus. The fans will be hoping for more standout performances from players like Vinicius as Madrid look to make a deep run in the competition.
