Trent Alexander-Arnold notched his first assist for Real Madrid as Xabi Alonso’s men secured a hard-fought victory over Juventus to book their place in the quarter-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Playing his fourth consecutive match at the tournament, the former Liverpool star had a quiet opening half at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. However, he made a decisive impact just nine minutes after the restart, delivering a sublime cross that Gonzalo Garcia headed home to give Madrid the lead.
Manager Xabi Alonso once again opted for a 5-3-2 formation against the record Serie A champions. Despite the tactical setup, Madrid struggled defensively in the opening stages and were fortunate not to concede early.
Juventus forward Randal Kolo Muani missed a gilt-edged chance to put his side ahead, skying a looping effort over the bar after being released by Kenan Yildiz. The Turkish midfielder came close moments later with a powerful long-range strike that took a deflection and went narrowly wide.
Madrid’s clearest opportunity in the first half came through Jude Bellingham, whose tight-angled effort was smartly saved by the outstanding Michele Di Gregorio. The Juventus shot-stopper was in fine form, also producing a spectacular one-handed save to deny Federico Valverde.
Di Gregorio continued to frustrate the Spanish giants into the second half, making key saves to deny both Bellingham and Dean Huijsen. However, he could do little about Garcia’s powerful header, which rippled the net and proved to be the difference.
Gonzalo Garcia was substituted 14 minutes later for Kylian Mbappé, who made his first appearance in the tournament after recovering from a bout of gastroenteritis.
With the win, Real Madrid advances to the quarter-finals where they will face Borussia Dortmund later this weekend.
