Real Madrid’s reward for topping Group H at the FIFA Club World Cup is a last-16 tie against fellow European giants Juventus. Hard Rock Stadium sets the stage for Tuesday’s mouth-watering tie between familiar foes.
Xabi Alonso’s reign is beginning to take shape. After an underwhelming 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal on his touchline debut, the ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss inspired Real Madrid to back-to-back wins in Group H. As a result of their dominant displays in the group stages, Los Blancos find themselves on the same side of the knockout draw as several other European titans.
Despite falling a man down in the opening seven minutes against Pachuca, Alonso’s charges brushed off the Liga MX outfit 3-1 before thrashing Red Bull Salzburg 3-0 on matchday three. Both victories saw them score precisely two first-half goals, highlighting the potential for a quick-fire start.
Juventus’ best chance of keeping up with Real Madrid’s ferocious openings is to hit the ground running like they did in their opening two Group G outings. Indeed, the Bianconeri trounced Al-Ain 5-0 in their curtain-raising fixture, largely thanks to an astounding 4-0 lead at halftime.
They were equally prolific in round two, demolishing Wydad AC 4-1 on the back of a 2-0 cushion inside 16 minutes. However, Igor Tudor couldn’t guide Juventus to a top-table finish as Manchester City stopped them in their tracks in the group-stage finale. Pep Guardiola’s charges ran out 5-2 victors in that blockbuster top-table six-pointer to clinch a top spot.
Whoever progresses from this tie won’t have smooth sailing in the upcoming knockout rounds. With Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and Paris Saint-Germain waiting down the stretch, building a head of steam seems crucial for both side’s hopes of conquering the United States-held tournament.
Real Madrid can take heart from a decent-looking six-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W5, D1). That’s not to mention they’ve been near-flawless at the Club World Cup, winning 12 of their 13 previous matches (D1). However, it only gets better for the record-time Champions League winners.
Los Merengues have won 13 of their last 15 round-of-16 ties in a European competition. Yet, they only narrowly lead the all-time head-to-head stakes, having beaten Juventus in ten of their 21 previous encounters (D2, L9). As such, the Santiago Bernabeu outfit would be naive to underestimate the task ahead.
