Alexander-Arnold Shines as Real Madrid Reach Club World Cup Quarter-Finals

Trent Alexander-Arnold registered his first assist as a Real Madrid player as Xabi Alonso's side beat Juventus to reach the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup.

Alexander-Arnold, making his fourth successive start at the tournament, had a quiet first half at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. However, he delivered a perfect cross that allowed Gonzalo Garcia to score nine minutes into the second half, putting Madrid ahead.

Alonso used a 5-3-2 formation against Juventus, but the team appeared defensively vulnerable in the first half, narrowly avoiding falling behind early on.

Randal Kolo Muani missed a chance to give Juventus the lead after a pass from Kenan Yildiz, who also had a long-range shot deflected wide shortly after.

Madrid's best first-half chance was denied by the impressive Michele di Gregorio, who stopped attempts from both Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde.

Di Gregorio continued his excellent performance in the second half, but could not stop Garcia's powerful header.

Alonso's team will face the winner of the match between Borussia Dortmund and Monterrey in the quarter-finals this weekend.

What was the main talking point?

Madrid fans hope Alexander-Arnold's assist is the first of many. The full-back, who set up 92 goals in 354 appearances for Liverpool, made his mark with a stunning cross that led to Garcia's winner. Along with Arda Guler, Garcia is a key player as Madrid heads into the quarter-finals with momentum.

Who stood out and who did not?

Garcia's goal was a reward for his mature performance. He has been involved in scoring or assisting in every Club World Cup game so far, drawing comparisons with Raul Gonzalez. Juventus keeper Di Gregorio impressed with several saves, but could not prevent Garcia's header. Kolo Muani will be disappointed for missing a key opportunity early on.

The standout statistics

Di Gregorio made 10 saves on Sunday, taking his total at the Club World Cup to 27.

Madrid has won 14 of their last 15 matches at the Club World Cup, drawing the other against Al-Hilal.

The Spanish giants have scored in their last 14 matches in all competitions.

What next for these teams?

Real Madrid will face either Dortmund or Monterrey at 21:00 BST on Saturday, 5 July. Juventus will head to Germany for a training camp before starting their Serie A campaign on the weekend of Saturday, 23 August.