On a rain-soaked night at Lincoln Financial Field, Real Madrid delivered a commanding performance to beat Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 and clinch first place in Group H at the FIFA Club World Cup. The win booked Los Blancos a spot in Tuesday's round of 16 showdown against Juventus.
Just before halftime, Vinicius Junior ignited the crowd of 64,811 with a stunning left-footed strike from outside the box. Jude Bellingham’s incisive pass cut through the wet turf, setting up Vinicius to bury the opener in the 40th minute.
Eight minutes later, a deflected ball from Mamady Diambou left Vinicius one-on-one with defender Joane Gadou. Lacking a clear shooting angle, the Brazilian improvised a slick backheel to Federico Valverde, who tapped in from 10 yards.
Despite an apparent hamstring tweak in the 60th minute, Antonio Rudiger powered on before making way six minutes later—a reminder of Real’s thin central defense as injuries and suspensions loom.
In the 84th minute, Gonzalo Garcia sealed the victory with a deft chip, capitalizing on a turnover he forced at midfield. Real Madrid now join eight other European teams in the last 16; Atletico Madrid, Porto and Salzburg are among the group-stage casualties.
Up next for the Spanish giants: a high-stakes clash with Group G runners-up Juventus, promising more drama on the global stage.
Reference(s):
Real Madrid beat Salzburg 3-0, advance to last 16 at Club World Cup
cgtn.com
