Gonzalo, dreaming of the Club World Cup: The new Raúl of Real Madrid?

Gonzalo: A Dream Come True at the Club World Cup

Real Madrid forward Gonzalo has expressed that he is living a “dream” at the FIFA Club World Cup, after being compared to club legend Raúl, after scoring four goals in five matches with the merengue team. Gonzalo, 21 years old, is in the fight for the Golden Boot of the Club World Cup, tied with Marcos Leonardo of Al Hilal and Ángel Di María of Benfica, after his goal in the quarter-final victory against Borussia Dortmund. Real Madrid has struggled to develop a goalscorer since the era of Raúl, who scored 323 goals in 741 matches, a record later surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Gonzalo, a prolific goalscorer in Castilla, Madrid’s B team, is determined to justify the comparisons to Raúl with more goals for the team coached by Xabi Alonso.

“They are comparing me to Raúl, a legend. If I can do half of what he did with this shirt, it will be more than a dream”.

Gonzalo

“I’ve been working, waiting for an opportunity, but I wouldn’t have thought of this even in my dreams. I don’t feel much pressure. The coach, the players, and the staff give me a lot of confidence. Kylian [Mbappé] is… almost… let’s say the best player in the world. I feel very fortunate to share the field and train with him, to learn from him.”

Real Madrid will face PSG in Wednesday’s semi-final in New Jersey, after being replaced as European champion by the Champions League winners. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said the team must be better prepared to face the French team after conceding two goals in the final minutes in the quarter-final victory against Dortmund. “We have to analyze our game and then we will work for the next match. PSG is a great opponent, current Champions League champion and had a great season,” said Courtois. “It will be a difficult match, they like possession and press well, so we will have to be prepared.” “The team is doing well. We press well, defend well, attack well. Sometimes we need more possession to seal the match. That’s what we have to do better. We are improving in every match, learning more from the coach, putting what he wants into the game. It doesn’t always happen, but we are improving.”