- Real Madrid beat RB Salzburg 3–0 to win Group H at the Club World Cup
- Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, and Gonzalo Garcia scored for Los Blancos
- Kylian Mbappe missed the match again due to ongoing health issues
Key Takeaways:
Real Madrid secured a 3–0 victory over RB Salzburg, claiming top spot in Group H at the Club World Cup in the USA. With two wins and a draw, Xabi Alonso’s side advanced to the knockout stage of the tournament.
Al Hilal also progressed as group runners-up, while RB Salzburg and Pachuca exited the competition. In the round of 16, Real Madrid will face Juventus, who suffered a heavy 2–5 defeat to Manchester City yesterday but still advanced. The three goals for Real Madrid were scored by Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde late in the first half, and Gonzalo Garcia after the break.
🌟 MVP 🌟
👉 @ViniJr 👈 pic.twitter.com/ydUju8Q1aB— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) June 27, 2025
Once again, Kylian Mbappe did not feature for Los Blancos, as he remains short of full fitness due to ongoing health issues. He wasn’t even included in the matchday squad, with his place taken by Gonzalo Garcia, who once again justified the trust placed in him.
The match began with pressure from the Spanish team, but Thomas Letsch’s players defended well and managed to deal with all early threats.
However, the Austrian side’s defence collapsed five minutes before halftime. After a brilliant central attack, Real Madrid opened the scoring. Vinicius Junior was released from deep, advanced forward, and easily beat a Salzburg defender just outside the penalty area before placing a precise shot into the bottom left corner. That goal proved to be a turning point, as Salzburg’s players started showing clear weaknesses in their play.
Federico Valverde capitalised in stoppage time of the first half to double the lead. Vinicius was again instrumental, breaking into the box and delivering a clever back-heel pass to Valverde, who fired into the net to make it 2–0.
After the break, Real Madrid made it 3–0 following a superb counterattack and a major defensive error by Salzburg. A defender failed to clear the ball properly, sending it straight to Gonzalo Garcia. The striker outran two Salzburg players and calmly chipped the ball past the goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Al Hilal defeated Pachuca 2–0 and also advanced to the next round of the tournament.