Miami ¨C Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said Kylian Mbappe was edging closer to full fitness ahead of the Club World Cup quarterfinals after his side eliminated Juventus 1-0 in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Mbappe made his long-awaited debut in the tournament as a second-half substitute following a bout of gastroenteritis that sidelined him during the group stage.
Alonso expressed optimism that the France striker would be sharper in time for Saturday¡¯s quarterfinal clash against Borussia Dortmund.
¡°I think day by day he will get better, and by the time of the quarters he should be in much better shape,¡± Alonso told a news conference.
¡°We¡¯ll keep checking in with him every day.¡±
In Mbappe¡¯s absence, Gonzalo Garcia deputized brilliantly, scoring the only goal on Tuesday for his third of the tournament.
Midfielder Federico Valverde was instrumental in Madrid¡¯s hard-fought win, creating countless chances and earning praise from Alonso, who hailed the Uruguayan as a ¡°complete player¡± with leadership qualities that lift the entire team.
Vinicius Jr.¡¯s positioning was another focal point, with Alonso explaining tactical tweaks that shifted the Brazilian back to his favored left flank in the second half.
¡°We saw that giving him width allowed him to attack better from outside in,¡± Alonso said.
Defensively, Alonso credited his players¡¯ collective discipline for limiting Juventus¡¯ chances, highlighting Real¡¯s continued improvement at the back with only two goals conceded across four matches in the tournament so far.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.