By Filip Mishov
Actual Madrid’s revolution underneath Xabi Alonso is absolutely underway
Although Xabi Alonso‘s tenure at Actual Madrid started with an uninspiring draw towards Al Hilal within the opening spherical of the FIFA Membership World Cup 2025’s group section, Vinícius Júnior & co. performances progressively improved, and finally, culminated in securing a convincing win towards Salzburg to high group H. Not like the 5-time world champions, Juventus confronted a actuality examine upon assembly Manchester Metropolis, as Pep Guardiola‘s new-look squad ran riot towards the Previous Woman and left Igor Tudor questioning why he left kind participant Kenan Yıldız on the bench, ensuing within the Turin-based membership ending in second place.
The European powerhouses haven’t met one another for the reason that Champions League’s quarter-finals again in 2018 and the 2017 last earlier than that with the 15-time European champions coming off victorious on each events. Solely Daniel Carvajal, Lucas Vázquez, Luka Modrić and Daniele Rugani are nonetheless current at their respective golf equipment from the dramatic night time at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu and the latter three are anticipated to play an element within the spherical of 16 match in Miami.
Key gamers
With the newly-appointed Spanish coach nonetheless high-quality tuning ways and interchanging between 4-3-3 and 3-5-2, it’s changing into evident that Vinícius Júnior will proceed to play a key function regardless, whether or not as a left winger or as a free-roaming ahead, as Los Blancos’ No. 7 builds an unlikely partnership with the proficient striker, Gonzalo García within the absence of Kylian Mbappé.
For Juventus, the US-based match is probably Dušan Vlahović‘s final hurrah within the White and Blacks’ shirt and even one would possibly say the Serbian striker’s last audition on the worldwide stage forward of a pivotal summer season for his profession. With the 25-year-old’s contract up on the finish of subsequent season, Vlahović is battling to be supplied a brand new deal or to draw suitors, and possibly his time in Turin has not gone in addition to everybody anticipated, however his elegant end within the defeat towards the Cityzens displayed his pure goalscoring intuition as soon as once more.
Staff information
Thibaut Courtois welcomed again Antonio Rüdiger in entrance of him, however Éder Militao, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Daniel Carvajal, Eduardo Camavinga and Endrick‘s comebacks are nonetheless a way off, whereas French captain, Kylian Mbappé is again in coaching and would possibly lastly return to play his first minutes underneath Xabi Alonso.
Nicolo Savona suffered an ankle harm within the defeat to Manchester Metropolis and the Swede is predicted to overlook the match on Tuesday in any case, whereas it stays to be seen whether or not Igor Tudor will recall Timothy Weah and Samuel Mbangula who had been engaged in switch negotiations with Nottingham Forest.
Prediction
It’s onerous to look previous Xabi Alonso’s revolution on the FIFA Membership World Cup 2025 and with Kylian Mbappé’s imminent return to the pitch, I anticipate a win and a spot within the quarter-finals for Madrid with various targets concerned, as has commonly been the case of their matches towards Juventus.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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