Real Madrid Cruise Past Salzburg to Top Group H at Club World Cup
PHILADELPHIA, USA – A tactically refreshed Real Madrid side eased into the FIFA Club World Cup last 16 after a 3-0 win over RB Salzburg, topping Group H in style at Lincoln Financial Field.
Under new manager Xabi Alonso, Los Blancos delivered a commanding performance that signaled the beginning of a new era.
🧠 Tactical Shake-up: Five-Man Defence Pays Off
For the first time since replacing Carlo Ancelotti, Alonso deployed a five-man backline — and it paid dividends.
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🔁 Aurelien Tchouameni slotted between Antonio Rudiger and Dean Huijsen as a ball-playing centre-back.
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🛡️ Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fran Garcia acted as marauding wing-backs, offering pace and width.
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🧠 The shape was a bold deviation from the traditional 4-3-3 preferred by Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, drawing comparisons to Vicente del Bosque’s Champions League-winning formation in 2000.
⚽ Clinical Finishing: Real’s Front Line Shines
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Vinicius Jr opened the scoring with a dazzling run and low finish into the bottom corner.
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Moments before halftime, Federico Valverde doubled the lead, finishing a slick move sparked by Vinicius’ backheel flick.
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In the second half, young talent Gonzalo Garcia sealed the win with a composed chipped goal — another exciting glimpse into Madrid’s future.
🗣️ “We’re taking it step-by-step. It takes time to fully adapt to the coach’s ideas,” Vinicius Jr told Dazn. “But today was a good step, especially in the first half.”
🛫 What’s Next?
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✅ Real Madrid: Head to Florida to face Juventus, runners-up from Group G, in the last 16 on 1 July at 02:00 BST.
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❌ RB Salzburg: Despite earning four points, they finish third, just one shy of Al-Hilal, and are eliminated from the tournament.
