Football Tips

Vinicius Jr remains a crucial figure for Real Madrid, but his importance has grown even further in Kylian Mbappé’s absence. The Brazilian shone in Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Salzburg in their final group game, operating as part of a front two. That role proved ideal for him, as he delivered a man of the match performance with a goal and an assist.

During the 24/25 season, Vinicius Jr recorded 36 goal contributions in 51 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid. Only Mbappé, now absent, contributed more to Madrid’s attacking output.

With his pace, dribbling, and creativity, Vinicius will be central to Real Madrid’s hopes of breaking down Juventus’ defence. His ability to both score and create makes him a constant threat, and Juventus will need to find a way to contain him.

Manuel Locatelli hasn’t featured as much as many would have expected for Juventus at the Club World Cup, having started 34 times for the Old Lady during the 24/25 Serie A season. However, he started and captained the side against Man City last time out, he should be given the nod to play from the start again here.

Locatelli picked up nine yellow cards across his 36 Serie A appearances during the 24/25 season, no Juventus player picked up more - the next closest player to him was Thuram, with five.

Locatelli is set to line up against Jude Bellingham who can be a real handful, as the 64 fouls he won across his 31 La Liga appearances during the 24/25 season would suggest (2.31 per 90). Locatelli looks good value for a card.

This promises to be an entertaining tie between two sides who saw plenty of goals in the group stages. Real Madrid saw over 2.5 goals in two of their three group games, with the exception coming against Al Hilal in the opening game of the group which they drew 1-1.

Madrid have improved with every game at the Club World Cup and the 3+ goals they’ve scored in their last two games suggests that they could cover this line on their own. 

Juventus saw seven goals in their final group game as they collapsed to a 5-2 defeat against the Cityzens, raising questions about the effectiveness of the Old Lady against Europe’s elite sides. They also saw over 2.5 goals in both of their games against Al Ain and Wydad Casablanca, registering resounding victories in these fixtures.

Gonzalo Garcia has proven himself an able deputy for Kylian Mbappe, while the Frenchman recovers from an illness which has kept him sidelined for the entirety of the Club World Cup up until this point.

Garcia has scored two goals across his three appearances at the Club World Cup, also registering an assist across these games. He’s taken eight shots (3.20 per 90), with five of these attempts finding the target (2.00 per 90).

He is set to line up as part of a front two here alongside Vinicius Jr. The pair complimented each other really well in Madrid’s 3-0 win over Salzburg in their final group game, with both getting on the scoresheet on that occasion. He's playing with confidence and looks a solid pick to hit the target here.

Yildiz can be a very difficult player to contain and has already shown his elusive ability at the Club World Cup, winning three fouls across his three appearances (1.50 per 90).

Yildiz won 48 fouls across his 35 Serie A appearances during the 24/25 season (1.80 per 90), a strong record which further suggests that he could be a difficult player for Madrid to stop here.

As well as this promising fouls won record, Yildiz also averaged 2.21 successful dribbles per 90 during the most recent Serie A campaign, he's never shy of running with the ball, we only need one mistimed challenge from a Madrid player for this pick to land.

Juventus have secured straightforward wins against Al Ain and Wydad Casablanca, but were handed a heavy 5-2 defeat by Man City in their final group match. That loss highlighted several vulnerabilities in the Juventus side, which Real Madrid will aim to exploit.

Madrid tend to build momentum as these competitions progress. They can appear unconvincing, even sluggish, in the early knockout stages - as we’ve seen repeatedly in the Champions League - but they have the experience and quality to navigate these ties successfully.

Juventus’ defence had significant difficulties containing City’s attacking talent, and they could face similar struggles here. Even without Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid boast dangerous options in Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, and Vinícius Júnior, as well as Gonzalo García, who has impressed as the focal point of their attack.

Real Madrid should have enough to secure their place in the quarter-final against a Juventus side that doesn’t look equipped for a deep run in this competition. After a disappointing domestic season in 24/25, their focus may already be shifting towards preparations for the next campaign.