For a period, the Old Lady held strong and avoided major threats. However, a second-half goal from Gonzalo Garcia ultimately sealed the fate of the Bianconeri.
Juventus managed to trouble Real Madrid for the first thirty minutes, spurred on by an excellent Yildiz, but this wasn`t enough to book their place in the Club World Cup quarterfinals. Having survived the initial dangers, the Blancos took control of the match and secured the win in the second half with a decisive header from Gonzalo Garcia. Juventus remained competitive until the end against the Madrid stars, putting in a serious performance boosted by the saves of Michele Di Gregorio, who was as crucial as he was against Manchester City. The Bianconeri depart America with two defeats in four matches. Following Inter`s elimination, Juventus`s exit means Italy no longer has representatives in the tournament. Real Madrid will now face the winner of the Borussia Dortmund-Monterrey match in the quarterfinals.
Super Yildiz
Xabi Alonso started with Mbappé on the bench, pairing Gonzalo Garcia and Vinicius in attack. Tudor brought back starters Conceicao and Yildiz to play behind Kolo Muani. Juventus seemed to have put their heavy defeat to Manchester City behind them, entering the match with courage and none of the excessive caution shown against the English side. Kenan Yildiz, in particular, was impressive for at least half an hour, arguably the most dazzling player on the field. First, the Turk created a clear chance for Kolo Muani with an incredible piece of skill, but the Frenchman wasted it with a chip over Courtois that was too high. Then, the Juventus number ten tried himself, narrowly missing a chance to take the lead. Yildiz`s flashes of brilliance gave the Old Lady confidence but didn`t significantly wake up Real Madrid, who were passing the ball extensively without finding penetration. A close-range header from Conceicao added another minor threat. It was too little to seriously worry Courtois. However, after surviving three dangerous moments in under half an hour, Madrid found another gear, playing the game Xabi Alonso likely wanted from the start. Arda Guler, Bellingham, and especially Valverde increased the tempo, creating numerous chances. But the Englishman`s close shot and the Uruguayan`s powerful long-range effort were both denied by a sharp Michele Di Gregorio, replicating his heroic performance against City.
Garcia Seals Juve`s Fate in the 54th Minute
Real Madrid began the second half just as they had finished the first, immediately putting pressure on Juventus. After attempts from Valverde and Bellingham, the Blancos broke the deadlock through Gonzalo Garcia less than ten minutes in. The academy graduate met a precise cross from Alexander-Arnold and headed it past Di Gregorio. The lead didn`t satisfy Madrid, who nearly added a second with an acrobatic effort from Valverde. Shortly after the hour mark, Mbappé made his Club World Cup debut, much to the anticipation of the Miami crowd. Juventus struggled to push forward but defended compactly as a unit and were kept in the game by Di Gregorio`s saves, including a fantastic foot reflex save against a shot from Arda Guler. Tudor surprisingly substituted Yildiz (bringing on Koopmeiners), whose influence had waned in the second half, though the player himself seemed a little surprised by the change. This appeared to be a desperate move that ultimately had no effect, confirming Real Madrid`s passage to the quarterfinals.
