Club World Cup Archives

PSG coach Luis Enrique warns against complacency in Club World Cup final

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Luis Enrique on Friday urged his team to conclude the best season in the club’s history by winning the Club World Cup, but warned not to expect Sunday’s final against Chelsea to be a “simple formality.”

“This is absolutely not going to be a simple formality,” the Spanish coach insisted, refusing to accept that PSG are necessarily overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy at MetLife Stadium despite their fearsome form.

“I have analysed Chelsea. They have a great squad. Enzo Maresca is doing a great job, and I really like what he is doing,” Luis Enrique said. “They are a very complete team.”

PSG can complete a remarkable clean sweep of trophies with victory, having won a French league and cup double before claiming the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history at the end of May.

“We want to finish this historic season in the best possible way,” said the former Barcelona coach.

“Now we must open the next chapter, win more major trophies. We want to make more history by winning on Sunday.”

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PSG were spellbinding at times in their 4-0 victory against Real Madrid in the semi-finals and also put four goals past Atletico Madrid and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami during the competition.

“But we have to win this game to round things off. However, in a final, there is always a winner and a loser, and that doesn’t mean the loser has necessarily done anything wrong,” Luis Enrique added.

“We will lose again at some point, because that is what happens in top-level football, but I think the path is clear for everyone.”

This is the first edition of the 32-team Club World Cup, and whoever wins on Sunday will be world champions for four years, with the next tournament scheduled to take place in 2029.

“We are aware of the importance of this match, that it is a golden opportunity to be in a World Cup final,” said captain Marquinhos.

“This only happens every four years, and we don’t know where we will be in four years.”

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Xabi Alonso looks forward to ‘starting from scratch’ with Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso is looking forward to “starting from scratch” with Real Madrid next season after being thrown in at the deep end as coach of the Spanish giants in the Club World Cup.

Alonso was given a reality check on Wednesday as Madrid were eliminated 4-0 by European champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the semi-final at the MetLife Stadium.

“PSG are a team who have been built over time, whereas we are practically just beginning,” Alonso said after seeing Real Madrid go two goals behind inside nine minutes.

It was 3-0 before half-time, and PSG added a late fourth as they advanced to Sunday’s final against Chelsea.

“We have lots of room for improvement. There are many things that we want to do better,” Alonso added.

“We have to be self-critical. This will tell us things for the future that will help us to compete at a much better level than we did today.”

Xabi Alonso was appointed at the end of May, taking over from Carlo Ancelotti after a successful two-and-a-half years at Bayer Leverkusen.

Real Madrid finished as runners-up to Barcelona in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, and went out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals against Arsenal.

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The Basque technician, a former Madrid player, would have preferred a full pre-season with his squad before being thrust into competitive action, and it was always going to be a big ask for them to beat PSG’s well-oiled machine.

“They are at a very high level and have been since the start of the knockout phase of the Champions League,” Xabi Alonso said.

“They have shown it again here and we have to accept it — we are just beginning, learning things about where we want to go and how we are going to get there.”

Real eased into the knockout phase of the Club World Cup despite being held by Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in their opening game.

They then recorded narrow wins over Juventus and Borussia Dortmund prior to Wednesday’s defeat.

Alonso’s La Liga debut as Real coach is scheduled to be on Tuesday, August 19, at home to Osasuna.

Attempts to have the fixture postponed have so far been unsuccessful, meaning there are fewer than six weeks for the players to have a break and then embark on a full pre-season with their new coach.

READ: Paris Saint-Germain thrash Real Madrid to reach Club World Cup final

Paris Saint-Germain thrash Real Madrid to reach Club World Cup final

Fabian Ruiz scored twice as European champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) turned on the style in their reunion with Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday, thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup to set up a final showdown with Chelsea.

Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd who were wearing white at the MetLife Stadium outside New York.

The Spanish midfielder added another before half-time, and Goncalo Ramos got a late fourth as Luis Enrique’s side moved one game away from glory at FIFA’s new tournament.

Victory against Chelsea in the Club World Cup final on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May.

After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in European Cup final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid, and the ease with which they disposed of Real was striking.

PSG’s fluidity contrasted starkly with Madrid, who are a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso.

“We were not good enough today,” said Alonso. “We are not the first ones to lose to them, but we have a lot of different things to improve.”

Mbappe struggled to make any impact on his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club last year.

The defeat is a real blow to Real Madrid as they hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups.

PSG were without imposing centre-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not matter.

Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defence with ease, and the rest of PSG’s first-choice line-up was there.

Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow.

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The return to the starting XI of Mbappe, who missed the entire group stage through illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo Garcia from keeping his place.

But the Spanish giants’ front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG’s domination.

Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range.

Yet, Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembele pounced on slack defending by Raul Asencio. The Real Madrid keeper saved at the forward’s feet, but Ruiz converted the loose ball.

Three minutes later, the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembele to run through before finishing low into the corner.

Like his friend Mbappe, Dembele was starting for the first time in the Club World Cup after being injured. That was a 35th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or.

It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got their third midway through the first half.

A deflected shot by Mbappe was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their net a minute later.

Dembele released Achraf Hakimi on the right, and he squared for Ruiz, the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desire Doue had a goal disallowed early in the second half.

But Real were not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender.

PSG then got their fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in.

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Joao Pedro’s brace sends Chelsea into Club World Cup final

New signing Joao Pedro scored twice on his first start as Chelsea eased to a 2-0 win over Fluminense on Tuesday to seal a spot in the final of the Club World Cup.

The Brazilian striker opened the scoring in lethal fashion in the 18th minute of the last-four clash at the MetLife Stadium and struck again shortly before the hour mark as Chelsea set up a showdown with either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final.

Signed from Brighton and Hove Albion last week for a reported £60 million ($79 million), the 23-year-old cut short a holiday and made his debut off the bench in the quarter-final win over Palmeiras.

He was then given his first Chelsea start up front here in place of the suspended Liam Delap.

Joao Pedro refused to celebrate after either goal against the club with whom he started his career and made 36 top-team appearances before moving to England with Watford in 2020.

The result ends Fluminense’s impressive run at the tournament after the 2023 Copa Libertadores winners held Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, beat Inter Milan in the last 16, and knocked out Manchester City’s conquerors Al-Hilal in the quarter-finals.

With their exit, the chances of a South American winner in the first 32-team Club World Cup diminish, as Chelsea secured back-to-back victories against Brazilian teams to reach the final.

As always seemed most likely, the trophy will be claimed by one of Europe’s superpowers, with the final now guaranteed to be between two of the last five winners of the UEFA Champions League.

“It is a great achievement. It has been a fantastic season, top four in the league, winning the Conference League, and now in the final of this competition. We are so, so happy,” Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told broadcaster DAZN.

“Now finally it is the last game of the season, we can say that, and hopefully we can win the tournament.”

Fluminense coach Renato Portaluppi had described his team as the “ugly duckling” of the tournament due to the enormous difference between their budget and those of the other three remaining sides.

This game ultimately proved to be a step too far for their team, captained by 40-year-old former Chelsea center-back Thiago Silva.

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“This was a wonderful Club World Cup,” said Portaluppi.

“There is no crying over spilled milk now. We wanted to get to the final for our fans, but we leave with our heads held high and go back to our reality stronger now than we were before.”

Chelsea were without the suspended Levi Colwill and Delap, but Moises Caicedo returned after a ban.

The Premier League side were simply too strong for their opponents in a game watched by 70,556 fans on a hot afternoon just outside New York City.

They went ahead thanks to a wonderful strike by their new forward, who controlled the ball on the edge of the box after Silva had cleared a Pedro Neto cross.

Joao Pedro took a touch and curled a shot beyond veteran goalkeeper Fabio into the far corner before holding up his hands apologetically towards the Fluminense fans behind the goal.

The team from Rio de Janeiro was an intermittent threat, and Hercules — match-winner against Al-Hilal in the last eight — almost equalized in the 25th minute.

He played a one-two with German Cano and lifted the ball over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, but Marc Cucurella cleared off the line.

Fluminense were then awarded a penalty 10 minutes before the interval when a set-piece delivery by Rene struck the arm of Trevoh Chalobah in the box.

However, French referee Francois Letexier overturned the decision following a VAR check.

“Had we been awarded the penalty, we would have scored, and it would have been a different story,” said Portaluppi.

Chelsea got their second on 56 minutes, just after Fluminense had sacrificed one of their three center-backs to send on an extra attacker.

Enzo Fernandez released Joao Pedro on the break, and the forward produced another clinical finish in off the bar.

There were chances for Chelsea to score further goals after that, but the new boy’s double strike sufficed, with the only potential black mark on the day, the knock which forced Caicedo to limp off before full-time.

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Fluminense edge past Al-Hilal to book Club World Cup semi-final spot

Substitute Hercules struck a 70th-minute winner as Brazil’s Fluminense defeated Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal 2-1 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Club World Cup.

A fine left-foot finish from Matheus Martinelli had put the Rio club ahead in the 40th minute, but Al Hilal’s Brazilian forward Marcos Leonardo leveled six minutes into the second half before Hercules stole the show to the delight of the vast majority of the 43,091 crowd.

Fluminense could yet face an all-Brazilian semi-final if their rivals from Sao Paulo, Palmeiras, are able to overcome Premier League outfit Chelsea in Friday’s other quarter-final.

Al Hilal had pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament, beating Manchester City 4-3 to reach the last eight, and Simone Inzaghi’s side fought hard until the end to keep their adventure alive.

They bow out of the tournament having been unbeaten through the group stage, including holding Real Madrid to a draw and having truly made their mark on the world stage.

There was a moment’s silence before the kick-off in memory of Liverpool and Portugal forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother Andre Silva, who died in the early hours of Thursday after their car veered off a motorway in Spain and burst into flames.

Al Hilal’s line-up featured two of Jota’s Portugal team-mates in Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo.

The first half was a tight and tactical affair with few chances until Martinelli opened the scoring when he picked the ball up from Gabriel Fuentes inside the box and spanned out to give himself space for a left-foot shot that rocketed past Yassine Bounou.

Al Hilal went close to a quick response when Kalidou Koulibaly’s header forced Fluminense’s 44-year-old goalkeeper Fabio into a fine save.

The Saudi side was awarded a penalty when Samuel Xavier was ruled to have brought down Marcos Leonardo in the box, but Dutch referee Danny Makkelie was eventually sent to the monitor, where he overturned his own decision after seeing there had been no contact between the two players.

After going in at the break trailing by a goal, Al Hilal came out strongly for the second half and drew level when Koulibaly headed a Neves corner down to Marcos Leonardo, who poked home.

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Al Hilal’s Brazilian full-back Renan Lodi had a let-off when his poor backpass fell straight at the feet of German Cano, but the Fluminense striker’s attempt to round Bounou was denied by the smart work of the Moroccan keeper.

But the outcome was settled with 20 minutes remaining when half-time sub Hercules saw a shot from distance blocked, but from the loose ball, Samuel headed the ball back to the forward, who raced into the box and fired past Bounou to make it 2-1.

Al Hilal produced a flurry of corners and some intense pressure in the final minutes as they desperately sought a way to keep their dream alive, but the Brazilians were good value for their victory.

“We didn’t have many chances but we made the most of them, the entire group worked and were committed,” said Fluminense coach Renato Gaucho.

“Our fans here in the USA and those in Brazil, they can be proud, and I ask them to wear a jersey, in the mall, street, beach, wherever, wear that shirt – they should all be proud to wear that jersey,” he said.

The Fluminense coach was full of praise for the performance of his 40-year-old central defender Thiago Silva, who ensured the Brazilians were able to withstand the second-half pressure from Al Hilal.

“Thiago Silva is huge for us; I worked with him 15 years ago; he is a coach on the pitch, very helpful, and conveys calm and experience to the others. He is our captain and a leader, and in hard matches like these against big clubs, it’s important to have people like him. He is key and fundamental,” he said.

Al Hilal coach Inzaghi said his side had been unfortunate to end on the losing side.

“It has been a good World Cup for us, but clearly we leave with a little bit of a bitter taste in our mouth because after what happened in that second half, we deserved much more,” he said.

“It was a tight match, decided by episodes, as happens in football. Fluminense are very well organised team that are having an excellent tournament,” he added.

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Real Madrid oust Juventus as Dortmund reach Club World Cup quarters

Spanish giants Real Madrid beat Juventus 1-0 to set up a Club World Cup quarter-final clash against Borussia Dortmund, who edged Mexican side Monterrey.

Serhou Guirassy struck twice for the German outfit as they scraped past Sergio Ramos’s side 2-1 in a tight last-16 clash in Atlanta and denied the former Real Madrid skipper a match-up against his former team.

Youngster Gonzalo Garcia headed home his third goal of the tournament to help Madrid edge Italian side Juventus at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami earlier.

It was an impressive display from Xabi Alonso’s Madrid side, unbeaten under the new coach, and they were further boosted by Kylian Mbappe’s return from illness as a substitute.

“We had a lot of chances in the second half, but their goalkeeper was really good,” said Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois.

The first half was a finely-balanced contest with Igor Tudor’s Juventus starting brightly before Real ended it on top.

Los Blancos kept turning the screw and found their goal when Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed for Gonzalo to head home after 54 minutes.

Alonso decided to introduce Mbappe to the delight of the 62,149 crowd but the striker did not find any clear openings as Juve pushed for an equaliser.

Madrid’s coach was pleased with his team’s performance, including that of Gonzalo — who he had compared to former Real great Raul — but also suggested that Mbappe might be ready for a bigger contribution in the next game.

“We will keep watching him… I think he will be much better for the quarters,” Alonso said.

Alonso added that he was satisfied to see Real produce the necessary grit to grind out the result in the second half.

“We had to be patient, we had to mature into the game,” said the coach.

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“With the players and myself, you know you have to grit your teeth and do what you have to do. And in the end, we had to hold on a bit, and I’m happy about that too.”

Juve boss Tudor said his team became exhausted as the game developed.

“In the end there were 10 of them asking to be substituted. Obviously you can’t do that but there was an incredible tiredness,” he said, offering his reasons.

“There is the tension of the game which burns energy but then there is the heat and humidity,” explained Tudor, also noting they were at the end of a long season.

In Atlanta, Guirassy’s brace was enough to help Dortmund past Monterrey in a hard-fought clash in the Club World Cup, setting them up to play a Madrid side who beat them in the 2024 Champions League final.

Guirassy netted a first-half double but German Berterame pulled one back for the Mexican side who came close to an equaliser when a late Ramos header span just wide.

After grinding through several games in the blazing afternoon sun during the group stage, Dortmund were grateful to be at the air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz Stadium and played at a faster pace in Atlanta.

Karim Adeyemi set up both of Guirassy’s goals as the Guinea international reached 37 for the season across all competitions.

A booking for Jobe Bellingham means he will be suspended for the clash against his brother Jude’s Real Madrid side.

However Dortmund almost missed out entirely as Monterrey hit back in the second half, but after Berterame headed home to reduce the gap, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made several good saves to keep them at bay.

Ramos, sent up front for the final stages, put a header agonisingly wide in stoppage time as he tried to deliver on his penchant for late, decisive moments, like in Madrid’s 2014 Champions League final triumph.

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Fluminense stun Inter Milan to reach Club World Cup quarters

Fluminense sent Inter Milan packing from the Club World Cup on Monday with a 2-0 win in Charlotte that took the Brazilian side through to the quarter-finals.

German Cano’s header from close range gave Fluminense an early lead in their last-16 tie, and they then withstood an onslaught from the Italian side in the second half before substitute Hercules sealed their victory late on.

The Rio de Janeiro outfit, who qualified for the Club World Cup thanks to their Copa Libertadores triumph in 2023, became the second Brazilian side to make the last eight after Palmeiras had already sealed their quarter-final spot.

Captained by 40-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva, ‘Flu’ will now go to Orlando for a tie on Friday against either Manchester City or Al-Hilal.

“We knew they were not going to be easy opponents. Less than a month ago, they were playing the Champions League final, but we played really well,” Silva told broadcaster DAZN.

It is the latest victory for a Brazilian team against prestigious European opposition at the tournament in the United States, after Botafogo defeated PSG and Flamengo got the better of Chelsea in the group stage.

“This is a very important victory for our fans, for all of Brazil, for my country, for South America,” said Jhon Arias, the lively Colombian winger who was named man of the match.

“We are not only representing Fluminense but a whole continent, and we are really pleased with what we are doing in this World Cup.”

Inter Milan came to the US off the back of their 5-0 defeat by PSG in the UEFA Champions League final at the end of May and with a new coach in Cristian Chivu.

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They did not fully convince during the group stage despite topping their section, and they found themselves trailing inside three minutes before only just over 20,000 fans at the Bank of America Stadium on another hot afternoon.

A cross from the Fluminense right by Arias took a deflection off Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni, and the ball then bounced awkwardly before veteran Argentine striker Cano arrived to head in through the legs of goalkeeper Yann Sommer from close range.

Ignacio thought he had made it 2-0 before the interval, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.

Sommer then tipped a fine curling strike by Arias around the post just after the hour mark, before Inter began to turn up the pressure in an attempt to avoid exiting the competition.

Stefan de Vrij prodded wide from close range after captain Lautaro Martinez had headed down a cross, and the latter then saw a fine shot on the turn from the edge of the box come back off an upright.

Martinez had also been denied by Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio moments earlier, and confirmation that it would not be Inter’s day arrived in stoppage time.

As a substitute, Hercules pounced on a falling ball and drove into the box before firing low into the corner.

Federico Dimarco then hit the woodwork at the other end as Fluminense held out for the victory to keep South American hopes of glory at the tournament firmly alive.

“We never gave in. We kept going until the end, but it was not our day,” Chivu told DAZN.

READ: Al Hilal knock Manchester City out of the Club World Cup in a huge shock

Al Hilal knock Manchester City out of Club World Cup in huge shock

Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal sent English giants Manchester City crashing out of the Club World Cup on Monday, snatching a shock 4-3 victory in extra time in the biggest upset of the tournament so far.

The match finished 2-2 at full-time, but at the end of an eventful extra-time, Marcos Leonardo grabbed the winner and pulled off one of the greatest wins in Middle Eastern football history.

The Saudi club advances to the quarter-final, where they will face Brazilian club Fluminense, ensuring a non-European team will reach the last four.

City had taken the lead in the ninth minute in controversial fashion, Bernardo Silva finishing after Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross.

Al Hilal players protested that Ait-Nouri had controlled with his arm in the build-up, but the goal stood.

City had plenty of opportunities to extend their lead before the break, but a combination of poor finishing and inspired goalkeeping from Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept the lead at a single goal.

Al Hilal offered several reminders of their threat on the break, but City had even more chances with Jeremy Doku volleying straight at Bounou, who moments later reacted superbly again to keep out a Bernardo effort.

The question as to whether Manchester City would live to regret not converting those chances was answered within a minute of the resumption.

Former City full-back Joao Cancelo’s low cross was parried out by Ederson, Malcolm pounced but saw his shot blocked by Ruben Dias, only for the ball to loop to Marcos Leonardo to head home the equaliser.

Six minutes later and the City’s high defensive line was exposed by a long ball from Cancelo, which Brazilian Malcolm raced on to, and he showed power and pace as he broke away before coolly slotting past Ederson.

The Saudi fans in the crowd went wild while Pep Guardiola responded immediately with a triple substitution, with midfielder Rodri and defenders Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji introduced.

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That brought some much-needed stability to a shaky back line, but City needed improvement at the other end too, and it came, albeit in its scruffy circumstances.

The Al Hilal defence were unable to deal with a Bernardo corner, and Erling Haaland pounced to steer home the loose ball and make it 2-2.

City piled on the pressure as they looked for the winner, but yet again Bounou proved their nemesis as he denied Akanji and Ruben Dias and even when he was beaten by Haaland, substitute Ali Lajami produced a magnificent goal-line clearance.

Guardiola took off Haaland and introduced Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush as the game went into extra time.

But for all City’s depth, Al Hilal had a deep well of spirit to draw upon and just four minutes into the opening period, Al Hilal regained the lead when Kalidou Koulibaly rose superbly to meet a Ruben Neves corner with a brilliantly angled header.

City responded with a goal of real quality when Rayan Cherki’s brilliantly floated ball towards the back post was poked home masterfully by Phil Foden, at full stretch and from the tightest of angles.

But incredibly, Al Hilal responded again to restore their lead — Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s header was saved by Ederso,n but Marcos Leonardo followed in to bundle the ball over the line.

As the celebrating Al Hilal fans poured out of the stadium, the Brazilian striker let his emotions pour out.

Manchester City skipper Bernardo Silva said his team had paid the price for being unable to deal with Al Hilal’s counter-attacking.

“We scored three and could’ve scored five, six. It was all about controlling when we lost the ball, controlling the transitions, don’t let them run, and they ran way too many times,” he said.

“With one, two passes, there was always a feeling of danger coming from them. When we allow teams to run like this, we always suffer a lot, and today was the case,” he said.

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Manchester City thrash Juventus to stay perfect at Club World Cup

Manchester City turned on the style to seal top spot in Group G at the Club World Cup with an emphatic 5-2 win over Juventus on Thursday.

The third straight victory for Pep Guardiola’s side increases the chances of City avoiding a meeting with Real Madrid in the last 16 — a fate that may now await Juventus.

City and Juve will not know their opponent until the final pair of games in Group H conclude later on Friday.

A positive day for City saw 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri make his first start since rupturing his ACL in September, and Guardiola’s side, featuring several new faces, look significantly improved on the team which struggled to finish 13 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool last season.

Manchester City were on top from the outset, with a Bernardo Silva header forcing Juve keeper Michele Di Gregorio to save with his feet in the fifth minute.

Four minutes later, Guardiola’s new-look side had the lead when, after a characteristic, patient build-up, Rayan Ait-Nouri split the Juve defence with a superb pass which Jeremy Doku collected and dispatched into the far corner.

Juve were gifted an equaliser when City’s Brazilian keeper Ederson’s pass out was intercepted by Teun Koopmeiners, who marched into the box and confidently fired home.

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Juve returned the gift, though in the 26th minute, when French defender Pierre Kalulu, under no pressure, turned a low cross from Matheus Nunes into his own net.

A short but intense downpour just before half-time cooled the stadium down, and Guardiola introduced his prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland at the break. It took just seven minutes for him to find the scoresheet.

Tijjani Reijnders fed Matheus Nunes, whose low cross found an unmarked Haaland in the middle, and while it wasn’t the cleanest of finishes from close range, the striker celebrated his 300th career goal.

Rodri left the field in the 66th minute to applause as Ilkay Gundogan took over his role in the centre of midfield, but Manchester City continued to overrun the Turin side.

Haaland latched on to a long ball from Ederson and looked for fellow sub Phil Foden in the middle, but put his cross beyond the England man only for Savinho to recover it and set up Foden for a simple conversion.

Savinho then made it 5-1 when, after a Haaland shot was saved by De Gregorio’s feet, the Brazilian met the loose ball with a thundering drive which flew in off the underside of the bar.

Juventus had created little but restored a little pride when Kenan Yildiz produced a lovely touch and clever pass to set Dusan Vlahovic free, and the Serbian beat Ederson from the edge of the box.

READ: Vinicius stars as Real Madrid ease into the Club World Cup last 16

Vinicius stars as Real Madrid ease into Club World Cup last 16

Vinicius Junior scored one goal and made another with a touch of class as Real Madrid sealed their place in the last 16 of the Club World Cup with a 3-0 win over Salzburg on Thursday.

The Brazil star opened the scoring after a superb defence-splitting pass by Jude Bellingham on 40 minutes and then set up Federico Valverde for the all-important second goal in first-half stoppage time.

Gonzalo Garcia wrapped up the win late on with his second goal of the tournament, and the result means Xabi Alonso’s team end the first round of FIFA’s new tournament unbeaten.

They go through to the knockout stage as Group H winners on seven points, setting up a last-16 tie against Juventus in Miami on Tuesday.

Salzburg go out as Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia progress in second place behind Real after defeating already eliminated Pachuca of Mexico 2-0 in Nashville.

They will face Manchester City in the last 16.

Real Madrid are adjusting in the United States to life under new coach Alonso and were again without top scorer Kylian Mbappe, with the Frenchman thus far not having played at the Club World Cup as he recovers from illness.

But there was still plenty of star appeal for the 64,811 fans who filled Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia almost to capacity; they reserved their loudest cheers for Bellingham, and spirits were not dampened by wet, fresh conditions as the blistering heatwave of recent days suddenly lifted.

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Alonso opted, as during his time in charge of Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, for a back three with Aurelien Tchouameni in between Antonio Rudiger and Dean Huijsen. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fran Garcia played as wing-backs.

Real Madrid won 5-1 when the teams met in the Champions League in January, with Vinicius scoring twice, and the Brazilian was again heavily involved in putting the Austrian team to the sword here.

He was denied by goalkeeper Christian Zawieschitzky when clean through on 20 minutes, but made up for that by getting the breakthrough as the interval approached.

The goal owed much to a fantastic pass by Bellingham, which found Vinicius in between the two Salzburg centre-backs. He held off two chasing defenders and scored with an early left-foot shot low into the corner.

It was the 22nd goal of the season in all competitions and one that delighted those backing Real in the crowd.

Petar Ratkov had a chance for Salzburg after Arda Guler was dispossessed just outside his own area, but Real scored again to make it 2-0 almost on the half-time whistle.

When a rather aimless pass forward by Guler was deflected by Salzburg’s Mamady Diambou, Vinicius pounced on the loose ball and continued into the area before producing a clever back-heel to set up Valverde for the goal.

Salzburg now needed a favour from Al Hilal to stay in the competition, although they did continue to make a fight of it and had chances to reduce the deficit in the second half.

Nevertheless, they were picked off on the counter as Madrid got their third with six minutes of the 90 remaining.

A ball forward by Alexander-Arnold should have been cut out by Joane Gadou, but the young defender’s touch was intercepted by Gonzalo Garcia, and the young forward ran through before clipping a shot beyond the goalkeeper.

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