Real Madrid found their rhythm at the Club World Cup on Tuesday, edging past Juventus 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals.
The decisive moment came courtesy of academy graduate Gonzalo García, who netted early in the second half, while Kylian Mbappé made his long-awaited tournament debut.
García stepped up in the absence of Mbappé, who missed the group stage due to gastroenteritis and delivered with his third goal of the competition, setting up a clash with either Borussia Dortmund or Monterrey in the next round.
Mbappé’s introduction in the second half sent a buzz through the crowd at Hard Rock Stadium, which was near capacity.
The warm reception from fans underscored the Spanish club’s global pull and the excitement surrounding the French superstar’s first appearance in the tournament.
Juventus looked lively in the early exchanges, but their momentum waned as Xabi Alonso’s side turned up the pressure. Goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio kept the scoreline respectable for the Italian side with a string of crucial saves.
After a sluggish group phase, Real Madrid, lining up in Alonso’s preferred 3-4-3 formation, began to show signs of their full potential.
Juventus came close to an opener in the seventh minute when Randal Kolo Muani latched onto a precise through ball from Kenan Yildiz and tried an ambitious chip, only to send it just over Thibaut Courtois’s crossbar. Moments later, Yildiz tested his luck from distance, but fired wide.
Real gradually seized control. A defensive slip by Juventus nearly proved costly, and Jude Bellingham came close to breaking the deadlock with a sharp effort, only to be denied by Di Gregorio’s quick reflexes.
The Juventus shot-stopper was at it again minutes before halftime, pushing away a ferocious drive from Federico Valverde.
Despite being under siege towards the end of the first half, Juventus reached the break with the match still goalless—a result they likely welcomed.
In the second half, Di Gregorio again kept Juve in contention, denying both Bellingham and Dean Huijsen in quick succession.
But there was no stopping García in the 54th minute, as he rose to head in a perfectly delivered cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold, his third strike of the tournament.
The Italian keeper continued to give his side a fighting chance, notably pulling off a brilliant save to stop Valverde’s acrobatic bicycle kick attempt.
“Mbappé, Mbappé!” the crowd roared as the France international warmed up and readied himself for action midway through the half, eventually replacing García.
Though Mbappé showed promising movement and frequently found himself in space, his teammates failed to provide the necessary service, and his long-awaited debut felt more like a tune-up than a true test.