Juventus’ first big test at the Club World Cup didn’t go as just about everybody associated with the Bianconeri had hoped. The loss to Manchester City was a reality check ahead of the knockout stages, and left plenty of questions still to be answered
It also booked Juve into a rematch with an old foe.
As temperatures push 90 degrees in Miami on Tuesday afternoon, Juventus will be looking to prevent a loss to one of the most talented teams in the Club World Cup. This time it’s against a Real Madrid side that went through the group stage unbeaten but not perfect having recorded a draw in their tournament opener against Al-Hilal. (Yes, the same Al-Hilal that just upset Man City in extra time in Monday’s late game on the same field in Orlando that they beat up on Juventus.)
Juve’s loss to Manchester City last Thursday exposed a lot of the same issues we saw from Igor Tudor’s squad both before he took over as manager in mid-March and after. And if Tudor’s side are to bounce back with some of their best players like Kenan Yildiz ans Randal Kolo Muani expected to be back in the starting lineup after resting last Thursday, they’ll have to do it against a Real Madrid squad that is coming off a 3-0 win over RB Salzburg in their Group H finale.
The winner of the Juve-Real Madrid clash will face the winner of Tuesday’s late game between Borussia Dortmund and Mexican side Monterrey in the quarterfinals.
Scouting Real Madrid
The Club World Cup has served as the first steps in what Real Madrid hopes will be a long and successful tenure with former midfielder Xabi Alonso as manager. The 43-year-old Spaniard who led Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga title in the 2023-24 season was named Real Madrid’s manager in late May after Carlo Ancelotti stepped down and ended up taking the head coaching job with the Brazilian national team.
FC Salzburg v Real Madrid CF: Group H - FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Photo by Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid via Getty Images
Alonso has, understandably, tinkered with his tactics during the group stage, utilizing both a three- and four-man backline in Real Madrid’s first three games at the Club World Cup. The win over RB Salzburg was the first time Alonso utilized the three-man defense that became his trademark at Leverkusen, but he could go back to using a back four against Juventus on Tuesday.
Kylian Mbappe is expected to be available after missing all three of Real Madrid’s games in the group stage due to a acute gastroenteritis diagnosis on the eve of the tournament. Alonso said at his pre-match press conference that “it’s a big possibility” that Mbappe plays some part in Tuesday’s matchup against Juve, who last faced the talented Frenchman in the Champions League group stage during his last season with Paris Saint-Germain.
This will be a reunion of sorts for young Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen, who will be facing Juventus for the first time since the Bianconeri sold him to Bournemouth last summer. Huijsen, 20, was one of the first signings to arrive this summer ahead of Alonso becoming manager in Madrid.
Best Bets
Make no mistake about it: Real Madrid are strong favorites to beat Juventus and advance to the Club World Cup quarterfinals. But as both of Monday’s Round of 16 ties proved, just because you’re the favorite doesn’t always mean that you’re going to be the one that actually advances.
With all that in mind, Fanduel has plenty of potential options if you wish to wager considering that Juve are the underdogs. Here’s how you can take advantage of some favorable odds.
Juventus FC v Manchester City FC: Group G - FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Photo by Eston Parker/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images
Juventus took the early lead in their wins over Al Ain and Wydad Casablanca in the group stage, but it was a complete reversal of situations when they fell behind less than 10 minutes in against Manchester City. On top of that, four of the six goals Juventus have allowed at the Club World Cup have come in the second half, with three of those coming in last week’s loss to City.
Even though he leads Juventus in goals at the Club World Cup, Yildiz is still +1000 on Fanduel to score against Real Madrid. Considering he has scored in both of the games he’s started at the tournament, he could very make it three straight starts with a goal against a defense that now features his good friend Huijsen.
Prediction
Juventus won their first two group stage games by a combined score of 9-1, but then got absolutely smoked by Manchester City in their first big test of the tournament. Now facing a Real Madrid side that has shown some good early signs under their new manager, Juve will have to rebound — and in a hurry — if they want to advance to the quarterfinals rather than heading out on holiday.
Just like against Man City, it will be a big ask for Juventus to beat the Spanish giants.
What’s the final prediction? Real Madrid 3, Juventus 1.