LOS ANGELES, USA, Jul 2 – Trent Alexander-Arnold registered his first assist as a Real Madrid player as Xabi Alonso’s side beat Juventus to reach the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup.
Alexander-Arnold, making his fourth successive start at the tournament, endured a quiet first half at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami but delivered a delicious cross from which Gonzalo Garcia nodded Madrid ahead nine minutes into the second half.
Alonso once again deployed a 5-3-2 system against the record Serie A champions, but his side looked vulnerable defensively in the first half and were fortunate not to fall behind in the early stages.
Randal Kolo Muani spurned a golden opportunity to give Juventus the lead when he sent a looping effort over the crossbar after he was sent racing clear by Kenan Yildiz, who had a powerful long-range drive deflected wide moments later.
Madrid’s best chance of the first half fell to Jude Bellingham, who was denied from a tight angle by the impressive Michele di Gregorio, while Federico Valverde was also thwarted by a magnificent one-handed stop by the 27-year-old. The Juventus goalkeeper did brilliantly to deny Bellingham and Dean Huijsen early in the second half, but Garcia’s thumping
