Real Madrid player ratings vs. Juventus: Trent Alexander-Arnold gets up and running! Ex-Liverpool ace grabs his first assist and Gonzalo Garcia makes a claim to start as Los Blancos book spot in Club World Cup quarters

News Express |2nd Jul 2025 | 215
Real Madrid player ratings vs. Juventus: Trent Alexander-Arnold gets up and running! Ex-Liverpool ace grabs his first assist and Gonzalo Garcia makes a claim to start as Los Blancos book spot in Club World Cup quarters




Xabi Alonso's side clinched a spot in the last eight with a narrow victory over the Italian giants.

Gonzalo Garcia scored the only goal and Trent Alexander-Arnold notched his first assist for Real Madrid as Los Blancos edged Juventus to book a spot in the Club World Cup quarter-final. Xabi Alonso's side turned a poor first half into a comprehensive second, and were good value for their win - even if they were far from dominant.

Juventus had the better of the play early on. Randal Kolo Muani came close, dinking over from close range. Kenan Yildiz also threatened, his swerving effort evading the post by inches. Jude Bellingham provided the first good look for Los Blancos, but saw his poke cleared off the line. Federico Valverde, too, made an impact with a 30-yard strike that forced a fine save out of the goalkeeper.

Los Blancos eventually took the lead in the second half - they were good value for it, too. Alexander-Arnold set it up with a fine cross into the area, which Garcia met dutifully. Arda Guler could have made it two after 70 minutes, but Michele Di Gregorio denied his fizzing volley following a lovely flowing Madrid move.

They lost their flow a bit after Mbappe came on. The Frenchman missed the entire group stage due to injury, and didn't quite jell with the rest of the Madrid attack in his return. Still, they did enough to run out deserved 1-0 winners. There will be tougher challenges to come, but it has been a good start to the Alonso era.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Hard Rock Stadium...

Goalkeeper & Defence

Thibaut Courtois (7/10):

Made a few good saves, came off his line effectively. A job well done, all said.

Antonio Rudiger (6/10):

Seems to be figuring out the dynamic of a back three a little bit.

Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):

Allowed Randal Kolo Muani to run through a couple of times and some of his positioning wasn't great.

Dean Huijsen (8/10):

Another excellent performance at the back. Won everything, distributed well.

Midfield

Trent Alexander-Arnold (6/10):

Grabbed his first assist in a Madrid shirt, but still a little suspect at the back.

Federico Valverde (7/10):

Stung the keeper's palms with a strong effort. Had a couple more attempts denied. The driving force behind everything.

Arda Guler (7/10):

A bit quiet in the first half, but much more effective after the break, and was part of the reason Madrid took control.

Jude Bellingham (6/10):

Should have scored in the first half, and held onto the ball a bit too long in the second. Still finding his feet in this system.

Fran Garcia (6/10):

Madrid were quieter down his side, but he still put in plenty of leg work.

Attack

Gonzalo Garcia (8/10):

Scored a really nice goal, ran tirelessly. Shame that this will be his last start now that Mbappe is back.

Vinicius Jr (6/10):

A bit mixed, all said. Dangerous on the break, but lacked quality in front of goal.

Subs & Manager

Kylian Mbappe (5/10):

Drifted out to the left when he was really supposed to stay central. Will need time to figure out the right movements.

Luka Modric (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Dani Ceballos (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Xabi Alonso (7/10):

Back to his preferred 3-4-3/3-5-2 formation, and things looked pretty good. Alexander-Arnold grabbed his first assist, and Madrid were in control. Encouraging all round - other than Mbappe's poor cameo. (GOAL)




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