Club World Cup: Young Gonzalo continues to shine and gets Real Madrid into the quarterfinals

Real Madrid qualified on Tuesday for the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup by beating Juventus Turin 1-0 in Miami, a match settled by a goal from Gonzalo García Torres, a revelation for Los Merengues in this tournament.

On the day of Kylian Mbappé's return to the team, the 21-year-old headed home with the only goal of the game in the 54th minute, rewarding his side's dominance against a Juve side that went from strength to strength.

"That's what strikers should do, score, it's their job," Madrid coach Xabi Alonso told DAZN after the match.

The Spanish team will face the winner of the last round of the 16-match, Borussia Dortmund-Monterrey, on Friday in New Jersey.

The Bianconeri gave the ball to Madrid, who did not know what to do with it. They played and played the merengues around Arda Güler, from flank to flank, in search of a gap that never opened.

The Italians, tight at the back, could live perfectly well without the ball. Theirs were the best chances at the start. The strategy was clear: steal and immediately look for the playmaker Kenan Yildiz.

The 20-year-old Turk, like his compatriot Güler, moved between the lines with the agility of a dancer.

In one of his first interventions, he slipped a pass to Randal Kolo Muani, who stood alone in front of Thibaut Courtois and sent his lob just over the crossbar.

Yildiz, himself again, accelerated soon after and unleashed a right-footed shot from the edge of the area that grazed Courtois' corner after touching Aurelien Tchouameni.

Madrid had possession, and Juve had the chances. And it took half an hour to see a dangerous approach from the Merengues. Uruguayan Federico Valverde found Jude Bellingham with a low cross to the near post, and the Englishman saw Michele Di Gregorio, quick of reflexes, repel his shot from close range with his right leg.

The chance spurred on Xabi Alonso's men, who finished the first half stronger. Valverde unleashed a shot from the edge of the area, forcing Di Gregorio to stretch to deflect it behind for a corner. And Trent Alexander-Arnold put in a cross from the byline that found no finisher.

"After the first 15 minutes we started to take control, we knew we had to work because it was going to be a difficult game," Alonso said.

White siege

The match remained the same after the break. The Whites, more direct, were stalking the Italian goal. Bellingham controlled in the box and passed to Valverde, whose shot went just wide of the post.

Vinícius tested the opposition defense and Bellingham, again, showed his class with a right-footed shot just inside the post after evading his marker with a feint.

Juve were about to concede. A poor rebound from the Italian backline fell to Trent Alexander-Arnold. The English full-back looked up and crossed for Gonzalo, who beat the Bianconeri goalkeeper with a powerful header into the net.

In a Hard Rock Stadium almost completely given over to Madrid, the Merengues began to enjoy themselves. Vinicíus was getting forward again and again on the left, Valverde was testing Di Gregorio's reflexes with a bicycle kick and Güler was warning with a left-footed shot from outside the box.

Igor Tudor's men, deprived of the ball, had their best chances with long-range shots from Francisco Conceiçao and Nicolás González, but Courtois kept out the danger.

Madrid wanted the second, and the fans were calling for Mbappé, who was called up for the first time to the Club World Cup after missing the group stage due to gastroenteritis.

Xabi Alonso granted the popular wish, and the Frenchman was able to play just over 20 minutes in a final stretch without too many upsets.

His temporary replacement, young Gonzalo, had already done the most challenging part by scoring his third goal in four games at the Club World Cup.

"This shirt demands the maximum from you and I plan to give 200% to take advantage of this opportunity,"  the canterano said, happily, after the match. So far he is doing just that.