Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said that Kylian Mbappe was closer to the full fitness for the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup after his side had eliminated Juventus 1-0 on Tuesday.
Mbappe made his long-awaited debut in the tournament as a second half replacement after an attack by gastroenteritis that put him offside during the group stage.
Alonso expressed optimism that the France -striker would be sharper on time for Saturday’s quarterfinals against Borussia Dortmund.
«I think he will get better day after day, and by the time of the quarters he should be in much better form,» Alonso told a press conference.
«We keep checking in with him every day.»
In the absence of Mbappe, Gonzalo Garcia brilliantly deputy and scored the only goal on Tuesday for his third of the tournament.
Match Report | Gonzalo Nets winner while Real Madrid along Juventus Randt to reach quarters
Midfielder Federico Valverde played an important role in Madrid’s heavily fought victory, causing countless opportunities to create and earned praise from Alonso, who greeted the Uruguayan as a «complete player» with leadership qualities that lift the entire team.
The positioning of Vinicius Jr. was another central point, in which Alonso tactical tweaks explained that the Brazilian shifted back to his favorite left flank in the second half.
«We saw that giving him width enabled him to better attack from the outside,» said Alonso.
Defensively, Alonso has credited the collective discipline of his players to limit Juventus’ opportunities, and emphasized the continuous improvement of Real at the back with only two goals admitted over four games in the tournament so far.
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