Vinicius Junior delivered a stellar performance, scoring one goal and assisting another, as Real Madrid secured a 3-0 victory over Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday to finish top of Group H and advance to the last 16 of the Club World Cup.
The Brazilian forward broke the deadlock in the 40th minute after collecting a brilliant defence-splitting pass from Jude Bellingham. He then provided a classy back-heel assist for Federico Valverde’s goal in first-half stoppage time.
Substitute Gonzalo Garcia added a third late on, sealing the result at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in front of a near-capacity crowd of 64,811. The win means Madrid top their group with seven points and will face Juventus in the next round on Tuesday in Miami.
The Austrian side Salzburg, meanwhile, were eliminated from the competition as Al Hilal claimed second place in the group following a 2-0 win over Mexico’s Pachuca in Nashville. Al Hilal will face Manchester City in the round of 16.
Real Madrid, adjusting to life under new coach Xabi Alonso, once again played without star forward Kylian Mbappé, who is yet to feature in the tournament due to illness. Despite his absence, Alonso’s side impressed with their attacking flair and tactical balance.
Alonso deployed a back three, similar to his preferred setup during his time at Bayer Leverkusen, with Aurélien Tchouaméni flanked by Antonio Rüdiger and Dean Huijsen, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fran García operated as wing-backs.
Vinicius, who had previously scored twice against Salzburg in a Champions League meeting in January, remained a constant threat. He was denied early in the game by Salzburg goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky but made no mistake later, firing home his 22nd goal of the season with a low left-footed shot.
Just before halftime, Vinicius capitalised on a deflection to provide a back-heeled assist for Valverde’s finish, doubling Madrid’s lead.
Salzburg attempted to mount a comeback after the break but failed to convert their chances. Their hopes were extinguished in the 84th minute when Garcia capitalised on a defensive error to score his second goal of the tournament.
The result keeps Real Madrid’s unbeaten run at the revamped FIFA Club World Cup intact and sets the stage for a high-profile knockout clash with Juventus.
