"If you believe social media users who think the Club World Cup is of poor quality, you're wrong," Courtois stated after Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Juventus at Hard Rock Stadium in Florida on 1/7. "Those who understand football know that Brazilian teams are very strong, Al Hilal is an excellent team, and European teams aren't always the best. The tournament offers many exciting and interesting matches. The level of play is high. We must continue to perform well to hopefully reach the final."
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Courtois reacts during Real Madrid's victory over Juventus at Hard Rock Stadium, Florida, USA on 1/7/2025. Photo: AFP |
Courtois reacts during Real Madrid's victory over Juventus at Hard Rock Stadium, Florida, USA on 1/7/2025. Photo: AFP
Unlike previous editions, this year's Club World Cup features 32 teams from six continents. Except for the host nation, the USA, the remaining teams are either continental champions from the past four years or hold the highest continental rankings from the same period.
However, since its inception, the tournament has faced criticism for the disparity in quality between teams, evident in matches like Bayern's 10-0 win over Auckland City. The tournament's appeal has also been questioned, with over 1 million empty seats during the group stage, resulting in only about 56.7% stadium occupancy.
From the end of the group stage, the tournament has seen some surprising results. Fluminense's 2-0 elimination of Inter and Al Hilal’s 4-3 victory over Man City have made the Club World Cup an unpredictable competition.
Real Madrid is off to a good start under new coach Xabi Alonso. They drew 1-1 with Al Hilal but secured victories against Pachuca (3-1) and Salzburg (3-0) to top Group H. Yesterday, the Spanish team defeated Juventus and will face Dortmund in the quarterfinals. The winner will advance to the semifinals to play either PSG or Bayern. The other two quarterfinal pairings are Chelsea versus Palmeiras and Fluminense versus Al Hilal.
"We're playing well," Courtois commented. "Alonso wants us to pass more. The key is to maintain our positions, win the ball, then pass quickly, fluidly, and cohesively."
Alonso, for his part, believes that the win against Juventus wasn't Real Madrid's best performance. "We are improving with every game," he said. "Today was a good match. We are progressing step by step, finding spaces and developing our style of play. As a Real Madrid player, you have to be competitive and do what's required."
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Alonso directs during Real Madrid's 1-0 victory over Juventus on 1/7. Photo: AFP |
Alonso directs during Real Madrid's 1-0 victory over Juventus on 1/7. Photo: AFP
Goncalo Garcia scored the only goal of the match with a header in the 54th minute. The 21-year-old forward netted his third goal in the Club World Cup, following his two goals in the draw against Al Hilal and the win against Salzburg.
Alonso admitted he didn't expect Garcia to score three goals in his first four matches. These goals have been valuable and have boosted his confidence in the young player.
Against Juventus, Alonso brought Kylian Mbappe on as a substitute. Real Madrid’s top scorer last season played his first match in the Club World Cup, having missed the three group stage games due to a stomach ailment. According to Alonso, Mbappe's condition will improve in the coming days, and he is considering starting him again.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, the right-back recently transferred from Liverpool, provided the assist for Garcia’s winning header against Juventus. Alonso expressed satisfaction with the English star's performance in his first few matches for Real Madrid. "He has made 500 crosses throughout his career," Alonso said about Alexander-Arnold. "We've only had pre-match training and haven't had a full training session yet. We need to connect and give him more options."
Alonso took over as Real Madrid's coach after Carlo Ancelotti’s departure at the end of May. In his first four matches in charge, the Spanish manager has achieved three wins and one draw.
Last season, Real Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup but finished second in La Liga. They lost to Barca 2-5 in the Spanish Super Cup final, 2-3 in the Copa del Rey final, and 1-5 on aggregate to Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals. "Carlo told me that the team lacked balance," Alonso revealed. "The quality is still there, so I want to increase the team's collective strength as much as possible. That's the path we want to take at the Club World Cup and in preparation for the future."
Thanh Quy (according to Marca)
