Tudor: Five things Juventus need for ‘opportunity’ to beat Real Madrid | OneFootball

Juventus coach Igor Tudor says the Bianconeri will need ‘courage and a bit of luck’ against Real Madrid in the Club World Cup Round of 16: ‘As I told my guys, we must see this as an opportunity; everyone dreams of beating Real Madrid.’

The Bianconeri host meet the Merengues in the Club World Cup Round of 16 today.

It kicks off at 15:00 local time in Miami (21:00 CET).

Federico Gatti didn’t train with the rest of the team on Monday, but Tudor hinted that the Italian defender could still be available.

The Bianconeri qualified for the Round of 16 as the Group G runners-up after wins over Al Ain and Wydad and a 5-2 loss against Manchester City

Tudor on what Juventus need to beat Real Madrid

ROME, ITALY – MAY 10: Igor Tudor, Head Coach of Juventus, looks on prior to the Serie A match between SS Lazio and Juventus at Stadio Olimpico on May 10, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

“We must run a lot, make no mistakes, believe and have courage, with a bit of luck,” Tudor said at a press conference via Gazzetta.

“We prepared differently from the match against Manchester City, but now we have to look ahead. Facing Real Madrid isn’t ideal, but we truly believe in ourselves. It’s going to be a tough game against a prestigious team. Real Madrid is always extremely strong in these tournaments. We’ll play our cards because we want to advance.

“I really liked Real Madrid’s latest match. They played with quality and sacrifice. Xabi Alonso has really passed on his ideas in a short time,” Tudor continued.

“You can already see similarities with his Bayern Leverkusen side. Xabi will do great in Madrid. They have high-level players, but as I told my guys, we must see this as an opportunity; everyone dreams of beating Real Madrid.”

Juventus coach Tudor praises Modric

BOLOGNA, ITALY – MAY 04: Igor Tudor, Head Coach of Juventus, looks on prior to the Serie A match between Bologna and Juventus at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on May 04, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Tudor’s compatriot Luka Modric is expected to start on the bench for Real Madrid and is set to join Milan as a free agent after the Club World Cup.

“Someone like Modric is born every 300 years in Croatia,” said the Juventus coach.

“He’s a special player and a special person. He’s a source of pride for all of us Croatians. I care about him a lot, and I hope he continues to play and enjoy himself; he’s only 40.”

Tudor previously stated that Juventus would need three new signings to be competitive in the 2025-26 season, but the defeat against Manchester City suggests that the Bianconeri must make more new additions to the team for next season.

“We’ll talk about that after the Club World Cup,” Tudor concluded.