Vinicius Junior starred with a goal and an assist as Real Madrid cruised into the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a 3-0 win over Salzburg on Thursday. The Brazilian opened the scoring in the 40th minute after a brilliant through-ball from Jude Bellingham, and later set up Federico Valverde for a second goal just before halftime.
Gonzalo Garcia sealed the win with a late strike — his second of the tournament — ensuring Madrid topped Group H with seven points. They now advance to face Juventus in the knockout stage on Tuesday in Miami.
“Vini had a great game,” said coach Xabi Alonso. “Not just for his goal and assist, but for the defensive work and sacrifice he gave for the team.”
It was Vinicius’ first goal in nine club appearances since mid-April, marking a strong return to form.
Salzburg, meanwhile, were eliminated as Al Hilal claimed second place in the group after beating Pachuca 2-0 in Nashville. The Saudi side will face Manchester City in the next round.
Real Madrid continue to adapt under new manager Xabi Alonso and were once again without Kylian Mbappe, who is recovering from illness and has yet to feature in the tournament.
Despite Mbappe’s absence, a crowd of 64,811 packed into Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, cheering loudest for Jude Bellingham on a night that saw cooler temperatures after a stretch of intense heat.
“We were stable and mature in the first half,” Alonso said. “There’s still a lot to improve, but we are moving in the right direction.”
LND/SAE
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