Vinícius Jr. leads Real Madrid to victory against Salzburg
In a standout performance, Vinícius Jr. shone with a goal and an assist, propelling Real Madrid to a resounding 3-0 victory over Salzburg in the Club World Cup. The match, played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, sealed the white team’s passage to the round of 16, where they will face Juventus. Real Madrid, who finished the group stage as leader of group H with seven points, without counting Kylian Mbappé, who is recovering from gastroenteritis, demonstrated their superiority from the start. The match, marked by rain and wind, saw Xabi Alonso implement a formation with three center-backs, surprising the opponent. The merengue team controlled the game from the start, pressing and stealing balls in dangerous areas. Jude Bellingham was key in the attack, partnering with Alexander-Arnold and generating the first big opportunity for Vinícius. Although the initial shot was stopped, the connection between both players was evident. In the 40th minute, Fran García recovered a ball, and Bellingham assisted Vinícius, who scored with precision. Before halftime, Vinícius assisted Fede Valverde with a backheel, increasing the lead to 2-0. In the second half, Real Madrid maintained control, and Gonzalo García sealed the victory with a goal in the 84th minute. Luka Modric and Rodrygo, among others, also had minutes in the match, showing the depth of Madrid’s squad.Match Technical Sheet
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rüdiger (Jacobo Ramón, m.66), Dean Huijsen, Aurélien Tchouameni, Fran García; Fede Valverde (Dani Ceballos, m.74), Arda Güler (Luka Modric, m.66), Jude Bellingham (Brahim Díaz, m.82); Vinícius Jr. (Rodrygo, m.66) and Gonzalo García.
Coach: Xabi Alonso.
Goals: 0-1, m. 40: Vinícius Jr. 0-2, m.48: Federico Valverde. 0-3, m.84: Gonzalo García.
Referee: Dahane Beida (MAU). No cards were shown.Incidents: Match corresponding to the third matchday of Group H of the Club World Cup played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia before 64,811 spectators.Salzburg: Christian Zawieschitzky; Stefan Lainer, Joane Gadou, Jacob Rasmussen, Frans Krätzig; Nene Dorgeles (Samson Baidoo, m.89), Soumaïla Diabaté (Yorbe Vertessen, m.73), Mamady Diambou (Adam Daghim, m.45), Oscar Gloukh; Edmund Baidoo (Karim Onisiwo, m.89) and Petar Ratkov (Maurits Kjaergaard, m.45).
Coach: Thomas Letsch.
