Real Madrid take on the visitors Juventus in the round of 1/8-finals of FIFA Club World Cup. The match will be played on Tuesday, July 1st at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, FL).
Real Madrid delivered results but didn’t exactly impress. The Blancos were truly at their best just over a year ago when they closed the 2023/2024 season with victories in both La Liga and the Champions League. But what followed was a sharp decline—an extremely painful one. The reigning Champions League holders were completely outclassed by Arsenal in Europe and suffered three deserved defeats to Barcelona domestically—in the Supercopa, La Liga, and Copa del Rey. In response, the club brought Xabi Alonso back to Madrid, this time as head coach, and bolstered the defense with the signing of Alexander-Arnold Heysen. All of them debuted at this tournament, which started with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Al Hilal (although Valverde missed a penalty in stoppage time). They bounced back with convincing wins, scoring three goals each against Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg. However, Thibaut Courtois was kept busy in both games, underlining some persistent defensive issues. Real have now conceded in five of their last six matches, showing that their backline is far from impenetrable.
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Juventus was left unsatisfied with the 2023/2024 season, even though Allegri guided the team to third place in Serie A after two mediocre years and also won the Coppa Italia. Despite this, Allegri was dismissed early, and the squad underwent a massive overhaul that summer, with no expense spared. Thiago Motta was brought in from Bologna, but while he shone there, his time in Turin turned into a disaster. Motta was sacked in March, and that decision paid off—Igor Tudor, a former Juventus player, stepped in and managed to lift the team to fourth place after a grueling fight with Roma. At the Club World Cup, Tudor’s side comfortably brushed aside the underdogs—beating Al Ain 5-0 and Wydad 4-1. But when it came to the group decider, they were thoroughly dismantled by Manchester City, losing 2-5 in a one-sided affair. Juventus conceded three goals in the opening 30 minutes of that match, exposing major weaknesses when facing elite-level attacks. Nonetheless, the Bianconeri’s front line remains effective—they’ve scored 14 goals in their last five matches across all competitions.
There have been plenty of battles between these Italian and Spanish giants. Excluding friendlies, Real Madrid smashed Juventus in 2017 and then eliminated them a year later, with both sides winning their respective away legs. The Italians are seen as underdogs, but they’re far from hopeless—and their opponent is far from flawless. The best pick here is a neutral “over 2.5 total goals” bet.
Prediction for the match: Over 2.5 scored goals.
