Club World Cup Preview: Real Madrid vs Juventus – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

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.

Match Preview

Real Madrid

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.

Juventus

Five of Juventus’ nine historic wins over Real Madrid have come in the last ten meetings (D2, L3). Therefore, Tudor will lock forward to this heavyweight clash despite suffering only his second defeat since taking over the reins from Thiago Motta toward the end of the 2024/25 club season in Europe (W7, D3).

Man City didn’t only inflict Tudor’s second loss in charge. They also halted Juventus’ four-game winning streak prior. Moreover, Juventus conceded 5+ goals for only the second time in 30 years and the first time in an international competition since 1958. As such, Juventus will be out to get revenge.

Scoring hasn’t been an issue for Juventus, as they’ve netted 2+ goals in their last five games. However, Tudor’s men have averaged only four shots on target per match at the Club World Cup, emphasizing their outstanding conversion ratio. Still, two straight fixtures without a clean sheet cannot inspire great confidence.

Team News

Real Madrid coach Alonso has received a double fitness boost ahead of this colossal showdown. In addition to Antonio Rudiger, who’s back from a minor injury, superstar striker Kylian Mbappe is in contention for his Club World Cup debut after recovering from illness.

David Alaba, Endrick, and Ferland Mendy are on the sidelines. The same goes for Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga, underscoring the depth of the injury crisis in the Spanish camp.

On the other hand, Juventus are still without long-term absentees Mattia Perin and Juan Cabal. Arkadiusz Milik and Gleison Bremer were on the bench against Man City, with the latter vying for his first start since suffering a disastrous knee injury in October.

Meanwhile, Nicolo Savona’s match fitness is in question. The young gun had to come off midway through the second half against the Citizens. With that in mind, Bremer could make his long-awaited return to the starting XI.

Real Madrid vs Juventus Potential Starting Line-ups

Real Madrid (3-5-2): Courtois; Tchouameni, Rudiger, Huijsen; Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham, Guler, Valverde, F Garcia; Vinicius, G Garcia.

Juventus (3-4-2-1): Di Gregorio; Bremer, Kelly, Kalulu; Costa, Thuram, McKennie, Cambiaso; Conceicao, Yildiz; Kolo Muani.

Real Madrid vs Juventus Prediction

Much will likely depend on Mbappe’s availability. The Frenchman has been a difference-maker throughout his career, and this is the type of match he thrives in. If fit, his pace and individual brilliance could tilt the balance in Madrid’s favor. Despite heading into the game as outsiders, Juventus won’t go down without a fight.

However, the Italians may return home after tomorrow night.