A dazzling performance from Vinicius Jr., who scored one goal and created another, guided Real Madrid to a comfortable 3-0 victory over RB Salzburg on Thursday, securing top spot in Group H of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The win ensures Xabi Alonso’s side advances to the round of 16, where they will face Italian giants and Group G runners-up, Juventus.
Played under steady rain in Philadelphia, Real Madrid dominated the contest from the outset. After being denied an early goal by a sharp point-blank save from Salzburg’s 18-year-old goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky, Vinicius Jr. finally broke the deadlock in the 40th minute. He collected a perfectly weighted pass from Jude Bellingham, skillfully beat two defenders, and fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box.
The Brazilian was pivotal again in first-half stoppage time, delivering an audacious back-heeled pass to Federico Valverde, who finished from close range to double Madrid’s lead. Young forward Gonzalo Garcia sealed the victory in the 84th minute, scoring with a deft lob over the Salzburg goalkeeper on a quick counter-attack.
“I’m very happy with the goal and the assist. But now comes the most important part, the knockouts, and we’re looking forward to it,” Vinicius Jr. told DAZN after the match. “The vibes were good. We played very well in the first half, but we were a bit slower in the second. That’s normal given the matches coming up, where we can’t afford to slip up.”
The victory sees Real Madrid finish the group stage with seven points. They will be joined in the knockout rounds by Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, who finished second in the group with six points after defeating Pachuca 2-0 in the day’s other fixture.
Real Madrid are also hopeful of being bolstered by the return of Kylian Mbappé for the knockout phase. The French superstar missed the entire group stage with a bout of acute gastroenteritis but returned to training this week. Manager Xabi Alonso confirmed the decision was made to rest him against Salzburg to ensure a full recovery.
Real Madrid will now play Juventus on Tuesday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, while Al-Hilal will face Group G winners Manchester City in Orlando on Monday.
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