Real Madrid thrashed Salzburg with the magic of Vinicius, Valverde's tape, and a kid who surprises everyone.

With a bolder style than in recent times, now reliant on possession and collective attack, Real Madrid continues to advance in the Club World Cup. Now under the command of Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid won 3-0 over Salzburg and qualified for the round of 16, where they will face Juventus, who suffered a humiliating 5-2 thrashing by Manchester City a few hours earlier.

Pep Guardiola's team, meanwhile, will face the surprising Al-Hilal, coached by Simone Inzaghi, who defeated Pachuca 2-0 in the Group H final, thus eliminating the Austrian side. The group was dominated by Real Madrid, which, despite some shortcomings and the logical change of direction following the Carletto Ancelotti era, is becoming more confident and confident by the day. And it is quietly becoming a candidate from the shadows, far from the brilliance of others.

Vinicius put in a dazzling performance. He opened the scoring with a stunning goal (a double feint and left-footed shot) and then provided a backheel assist for Federico Valverde, who made it 2-0, captain and symbol of Madrid's recent history. The third was a work of art by a golden boy, Gonzalo García, who chipped the ball over the Polish goalkeeper.

Salzburg barely managed to tickle the global giant and were eliminated, the third European team to be eliminated, along with Atlético Madrid and Porto.

Real Madrid played without their star player, Kylian Mbappé, who suffered from gastroenteritis. The illness caused him to spend a brief time in the hospital last week in Florida, and, according to the Spanish press, he has lost weight, a potential significant impact on his body at a time when the American heat is putting the physique of footballers to the test.

The 26-year-old French striker was unable to make his debut at the World Cup, where Xabi Alonso's men failed to impress in the first half: their debut ended in a dull draw against Al Hilal (1-1) and a victory, with one man less for almost the entire match, against Pachuca (3-1).

Under pouring rain, the opening minutes were a study. Real Madrid tried to capture the ball and dominate the territory, but Salzburg maintained their full concentration. There were no clear opportunities in the first half of the show.

Alonso's Madrid is different from Ancelotti's Casa Blanca. The idea is constant circulation, possession, and advancement. The midfield is a central area: everything flows through there. Bellingham, Tchouaméni, the young Arda Güler, and even Federico Valverde play, touch, and break free, although far from the box and Vinicius, above all. The Brazilian missed a one-on-one against the giant Christian Zawieschitzky.

The Austrian team advanced a few meters because at that point in the match they were eliminated, as in the other match, Al-Hilal was leading Pachuca 1-0, with a goal from Al Dawsari. The Casa Blanca offered no solid resistance in the back line.

What was clear at that point was that Madrid lacked imagination, a magical pass, until Vinicius appeared. And he finished with class: a feint and a sensational left-footed shot. The assist came from Bellingham, a superb player.

At the end of the first half, Valverde seemed to seal the deal: another good move by Vinicius led to a backheel for the Uruguayan, who made it 2-0. By then, the whole show had the color of the White House.

The minutes ticked by with Salzburg's desperation, which was on the verge of being eliminated from the competition, and Real Madrid's serenity, which seemed to increase the score with every serious advance.

The development hit a slump because the Austrian club lacked any revolutionary ideas and was struggling against the defense led by Rüdiger. Nene's enthusiasm was always there, though without much support. Madrid pulled the plug, and Xabi Alonso didn't make any substitutions, leaving them with their guard down.

The final minutes, faced with a pair of dangerous advances by the Red Bull club, bore the hallmark of Modric's distinction, as a beacon in midfield, and Rodrygo, as a substitute, replacing the decisive Vinicius.

With the game firmly in the balance, Madrid got their third with a superb finish from Gonzalo García, a 21-year-old with a future at his feet. He chipped the ball over the goalkeeper, the perfect end to a good night for the giant, who has now become a contender.

• Soccer
• Club World Cup
• real Madrid

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