The last two matches of Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup are about to kick off on 1st of July. The first match is Real Madrid facing Juventus and the second match is Dortmund facing Monterrey. Real Madrid is facing Juventus at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Both sides have looked solid in the group phase, but Real Madrid comes in as the frontrunner, riding an unbeaten streak and the possible return of important players. Juventus, despite their offensive strength, must cope with injury setbacks and a recent heavy defeat.
Both the teams are facing injury issues. Real Madrid’s squad is missing crucial members like Carvajal, Militao, Camavinga, Alaba,Mendy and Endrick. Although there have been predictions about Mbappe’s situation, it has been informed that Mbappe would be available but he’ll be benched following Xabi’s team management. Apart from injuries, Raul Asencio is unavailable due to suspension.
On the other hand, Juventus is experiencing a defensive shortage. Right-back Nicolo Savona, who sustained a major capsule ligament ankle injury against Manchester City and was initially ruled out, has made a swift recovery and is likely to start. Moreover, Federico Gatti has missed recent training, casting doubt on his inclusion, with Daniele Rugani expected to pair with Pierre Kalulu and Lloyd Kelly. These defensive gaps leave Juventus vulnerable to Real Madrid’s sharp attack. Besides them, Cabal, Perin, Bremer, and Milik are also injured and out of contention.
Real Madrid’s predicted lineup is going to be a 3-5-2 formation with attacking duo of Vinicius and Garcia, the midfield consisting of newly signed Trent, Bellingham, Valverde, Guler and Francisco Garcia and the defending trio of Rudiger, Tchouameni and Huijsen. Courtois would remain as the Goalkeeper. Juventus’ predicted lineup is going to be a 3-4-2-1 formation with stricker Kolo Muani and midfield consisting of Yildiz, Conceicao, Cambiaso, Thuram, Mckennie and Costa and the defending lineup of Kelly, Savona and Kalulu. The Goalkeeper would be Di Gregorio.
Juve will be improved from their recent defeat, there’s no doubt about that, but it feels like the momentum is with the Spaniards heading into this blockbuster fixture.
Also Read: What Lies Ahead For Lionel Messi And Inter Miami After Club World Cup Exit
