Real Madrid booked their place in the knockout stage of the FIFA Club World Cup as Group H winners with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Red Bull Salzburg, MySportDab Reports.
The win marks back-to-back triumphs under head coach Xabi Alonso and extends Madrid’s unbeaten run to six matches across all competitions.
Los Blancos were in control from the outset, with Jude Bellingham and VinÃcius Júnior at the heart of their attacking play.
The pair combined brilliantly to break the deadlock five minutes before half-time, as Bellingham threaded a sublime pass through to VinÃcius, who cut inside and buried his shot into the bottom corner.
In stoppage time, VinÃcius turned creator with a clever backheel assist for Federico Valverde, who made no mistake to double Madrid’s lead with his second goal of the tournament.
Salzburg struggled to impose themselves, registering just one shot on target before the break. Thibaut Courtois dealt with it easily, but the Austrian side returned from half-time with more urgency.
Substitute Adam Daghim forced a smart save from Courtois, while Maurits Kjærgaard and Samson Baidoo both came close to reducing the deficit, the latter denied by a heroic clearance from Bellingham on the line.
Despite Salzburg’s improved second-half performance, it was Madrid who found the net again. Youngster Gonzalo GarcÃa capped off the win with a composed chip past Salzburg goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky late in the match to seal the three points.
The defeat ends Salzburg’s four-match unbeaten run and confirms their exit from the competition. Madrid, meanwhile, top the group and advance to the last-16, where they will face a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
With their rhythm building under Alonso, Real look like serious contenders for the Club World Cup crown.
