Real Madrid v Juventus: Club World Cup, last 16 - live

0
now 16.32 EDT 69 min: Valverde seems determined to get on the scoresheet, no matter how many times he has to shoot. Di Gregorio scoops this one off the ground. Share

2m ago 16.31 EDT 67 min: To underscore the point, Real shoot twice in three seconds, each time bouncing back off a wall of defenders. Mbappe officially makes his way in, which means we see plenty of picture of people wearing his shirt. He replaces Garcia, scorer of the lone goal so far. Share

3m ago 16.29 EDT Here comes Mbappe ... Into a game in which, honestly, Real probably don’t need him. Juve haven’t looked like equalizing in a while. Share

4m ago 16.28 EDT 66 min: Patient possession for Real, and why not? Share

6m ago 16.26 EDT 63 min: Nicolas Gonzalez is the man replacing Kelly. The Weather Channel is still saying “thunderstorms will end at 5:30” while we have no thunderstorms and no lightning on the radar. The game continues. Share

9m ago 16.24 EDT 60 min: BICYCLE KICK by Valverde, and it’s only the alertness of the in-form Juve keeper Di Gregorio that keeps us from being at 2-0. Share

9m ago 16.23 EDT 59 min: Conceição departs, replaced by Filip Kostic. Also, English defender Lloyd Kelly, signed permanently by Juve after a successful loan spell, is out. Share

13m ago 16.20 EDT 56 min: Conceição bids for an immediate answer with a worm-burning shot that Courtois has to dive to slap away. We have now reached the part of the game in which players sit down with cramps. Share

15m ago 16.18 EDT GOOOOOALLLL! Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus (Garcia 54) That was coming, like a storm front passing across the peninsula. And this time, Alexander-Arnold takes a touch, looks up and puts in a high cross that drops where Garcia has enough space for an uncontested 6-yard header that he knocks straight under the bar and into the net. View image in fullscreen Gonzalo Garcia scores for Madrid! Photograph: Marta Lavandier/AP Share Updated at 16.26 EDT

17m ago 16.16 EDT 51 min: Corner for Juve, as we’re again starting brightly. Real defend well and break quickly with Vinicius Junior down the left, stopped by Locatelli deep in his own half. Garcia then draws a foul from Conceição. Nothing interesting from the free kick, but the ball is worked back out to Bellingham, who blasts a shot from 20 yards that stings Di Gregorio’s hands. And another chance for Real as Di Gregorio sprawls to stop a dipping shot with some menace. Share

19m ago 16.13 EDT 50 min: Trent Alexander-Arnold runs on to the ball in an acre of space near the corner of the penalty area. He has all day to settle it, and he picks out a spot … No, I’m kidding – he blasted it several dozen rows into the stands. View image in fullscreen Row-Z botherer Trent Alexander-Arnold. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Getty Images/Allstar Share Updated at 16.14 EDT

20m ago 16.12 EDT 49 min: A cross gets through for Juve, but the ball goes beyond the attacker. Also, the flag was up. And there are probably other reasons it wouldn’t have been a goal. Share

21m ago 16.11 EDT For the record – there were no halftime subs. Share

22m ago 16.11 EDT 48 min: Courtois and a defender can’t agree on who should be clearing the ball, and the resulting awkward clearance eventually yields a Juve corner. Share

23m ago 16.10 EDT 47 min: Valverde tries curling a shot within the penalty area, and he doesn’t miss by that much. No sign of weather issues yet. Share

34m ago 15.58 EDT Ian Copestake writes: “Are you the first MBMing referee in the Guardian’s history? And does your full name suggest a penchant for French symbolist poetry? So many questions and so few minutes.” All that I know about French is that my name roughly translates to “pretty hard.” As far as referees go … maybe? To be fair, I’ve never done any level higher than Under-16 low-level travel, Under-14 higher-level travel and Under-19 rec league. I’m too old to keep up with anyone else. Share

36m ago 15.57 EDT The ever-knowledgeable Peter Oh checks in: “It’s interesting that RM fans are watching in Athens, GA, but frankly I would be more impressed if REM fans were watching in Athens, GA. Or maybe even the band themselves. Anyway, this tournament makes me wonder if I’m Losing My Religion.” One of my bands played an R.E.M. tribute recently, but we didn’t do that one, due in part to the lack of a mandolin player. When drummer Bill Berry left one of the two Big Bands from Athens (the other being the B-52s), the headline font in the local newspaper was about the same size as the end of World War II. Share

38m ago 15.55 EDT Weather watch Justin Kavanagh writes: “The Forecast called for pain at the start, but the weather now Feels Like Rain in Miami, so I think you need some of the great John Hiatt at halftime. “ Unfortunately, yes, it appears that some of the green blobs on the radar in and around Florida are now passing over Miami. The Weather Channel says “thunderstorms likely to continue through 6 p.m. (two hours and change from now),” but there’s no lightning on the map. Maybe we’ll just have a good soaking rain. Share

42m ago 15.51 EDT Halftime: Real Madrid 0-0 Juventus After a promising start at both ends, Real have had the better of things since the cooling break, but honestly, neither of these teams can finish as well as Al-Hilal. Just saying. Share

43m ago 15.49 EDT 45 min +3: Bellingham, Valverde and Alexander-Arnold form a potent passing triangle and work their way forward, where Trent unleashes a powerful cross that could easily have caromed into the net off any of the players from either side lined up across the 6-yard box. Share

45m ago 15.48 EDT 45 min: Impressive turn from Güler, but his cross is blocked away. Real reset, and it’s a CHANCE for Real as Valverde laces a shot from 18 yards that Di Gregorio impressively knocks wide with a mighty sideways leap. That might have been goal-bound. Four minutes of stoppage time, still 0-0. Share

49m ago 15.44 EDT 43 min: Thuram has it on the left for Juve, but his cross finds no one in Juve’s dark shirts. Share

51m ago 15.42 EDT 41 min: Quickly taken free kick at midfield for Juve. They continue even after one of their players rolls around on the grass for a bit. Real win the ball back thanks to, of all people, Vinicius Junior, tracking back to help out at the back. Share

53m ago 15.40 EDT 39 min: Juve now seem to have seen enough of Real’s patient and nearly effective attack. They swarm to win the ball back. Share

54m ago 15.38 EDT 36 min: The Juve defensive formation now resembles a spider with a flat body and a couple of short legs. But Real get a set piece, and Tchouaméni whiffs on an open header that would’ve been problematic for Juve had he connected. Share

1h ago 15.35 EDT 34 min: We resume with a very high free kick for Real. As a referee, I’ve found it impossible to keep cooling/hydration breaks brief. Coaches inevitably treat it as a timeout with no time limit. Share

1h ago 15.32 EDT Replay shows that ball may have been off target, but that only means it would’ve been sitting 3 yards from goal if not for timely intervention. Speaking of timely intervention, we will now have the cooling break. 30-minute score check: 0-0, but this is not a dull one so far. Share

1h ago 15.30 EDT 30 min: CHANCE for Real, saved off the line after Bellingham gets a touch to deflect the ball on the edge of the 6-yard box. View image in fullscreen Jude Bellingham goes close for los blancos. Photograph: Marco Bello/Reuters Share Updated at 15.39 EDT

1h ago 15.29 EDT 29 min: Patient buildup for Real as Juve again establish a defensive formation shaped roughly like a very wide taco. Share

1h ago 15.28 EDT 27 min: Juve win a corner, though I’m surprised Yildiz wasn’t offside before delivering that cross. Courtois easily claims the corner and distributes quickly. Share

1h ago 15.27 EDT 26 min: Trent ends up on the left side of the attack during the corner kick, and he and Bellingham combine to strip the ball deep in the Juve half from Conceição. Another Real corner leads to a hard-driven but wide shot from Vinicius Junior. No cooling breaks today? Share

1h ago 15.25 EDT 25 min: Juve defending with a flat line of five and an arced line of five. Real opt for a long shot and are rewarded when Di Gregorio unnecessarily touches it on the way out. Share

1h ago 15.24 EDT 23 min: CHANCE for Juve as a cross pings in from the left and is headed at a 90-degree angle by Conceição but right at Courtois. View image in fullscreen Francisco Conceicao with a big chance for Juventus. Photograph: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images Share Updated at 15.30 EDT

1h ago 15.23 EDT 22 min: A Real possession dies with an errant pass by Alexander-Arnold – or “Trent,” as he’s called on his jersey. Juve move the ball from side to side looking for an opening but find none, as Real’s midfield have settled quite well. Share

1h ago 15.21 EDT 20 min: And now Juve’s attack is deemed unfairly physical. My fellow Georgians are writing in today. Rafeed Rahman Turjya: “Watching the game from Athens, GA! RM fan here, never seen them press like this in a long time!” They’ve been energetic, absolutely. Share

1h ago 15.19 EDT 18 min: Juve attempt to pop the ball up to Kolo Muani, but he loses the aerial battle. At the other end, Vinicius Junior wrestles a defender until the referee reminds him that he’s playing a different sport. Share

1h ago 15.18 EDT 17 min: Rugani shields the ball back to his keeper to hold off another Real attack. Alexander-Arnold presses to keep Juve pinned back. You could argue that Juve have had the better chances so far but that Real have had the better of play. Share

1h ago 15.15 EDT 15-minute score reminder: 0-0, but both offenses look industrious and full of energy despite the steamy conditions. Share

1h ago 15.14 EDT 14 min: Kalulu gets the magic spray and squirts some water on his leg. Does that really help? Ever? He’ll continue. Share

1h ago 15.13 EDT 12 min: Perhaps the “feels like” temperature feels comfortable to these teams, because this is being played at considerable pace. After Juve’s squandered corner, Real Madrid break, and Courtois manages to collect at the top of the penalty area under some pressure. And Juve defender Kalulu is down for reasons not immediately apparent. Share

1h ago 15.11 EDT 11 min: Yildiz cuts back to create a nice shooting angle, and his shot deflects off a Real Madrid foot for a corner. Share

1h ago 15.10 EDT 9 min: Valverde shoots from some distance and isn’t particularly close. Adam Hazell writes: “Greetings from metro Atlanta! Not a fan of either club but am a fan of mister Robert Cray, so your coverage is off to a great start.”

Is Athens considered part of metro Atlanta yet? That’s where I grew up. Most of the space between the two cities looks like concrete and asphalt now. Share

1h ago 15.08 EDT 7 min: Vinicius Junior passes to the right for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who immediately loses it and Juve are off to the races! Randal Kolo Muani gets past the defense and streaks toward Courtois, but his attempt to lob the keeper sails high. View image in fullscreen Randal Kolo Muani mistimes the lob with on Courtois to beat! Photograph: Marta Lavandier/AP Share Updated at 15.16 EDT

1h ago 15.06 EDT 6 min: Bellingham wins the ball near the center spot and immediately sends the ball skittering through the Juve defense in search of Vinicius Junior, but it’s overhit. Share

1h ago 15.05 EDT 5 min: Real Madrid are pressing! An uncomfortable pass back to the keeper maintains possession for the Italian side. Share

1h ago 15.05 EDT 4 min: Some incisive passes for Real Madrid lead to a rather speculative shot from Vinicius Junior that deflects toward goal but loses much of its venom as it deflects. Share

1h ago 15.03 EDT 2 min: Well now – Yildiz glides past some Real Madrid midfielders and starts a promising possession for Juve, awkwardly cleared away in the end. Share

2h ago 15.01 EDT 1 min: Real’s defenders pad their passing stats just shy of midfield. Share

2h ago 15.00 EDT The referee, Szymon Marciniak of Poland, brought out a young fan to conduct the coin toss but decided he should also flip the coin himself. Hard to tell whether one end is staring into the sun or not, so it likely doesn’t matter. And TWEET … we’re off! Share

2h ago 14.55 EDT Service has been restored, so the room is now glittering with the player introductions in front of what looks like the light show at a Metric concert. Football Daily says the score will be 3-1 Real Madrid, but they didn’t tell me who will score, so I’m keen to see that. Share

2h ago 14.49 EDT Speaking of storms, a very nasty nearby lightning strike has temporarily (we hope) interrupted my feed of pregame punditry. Eek. This could end up being like the old story of baseball commentators inventing foul balls to delay things when they lost their phone connections to a distant game … Share

2h ago 14.34 EDT The forecast ... … calls for pain. Well, not really, but why not give Robert Cray a shoutout today? It’s apparently 82 degrees F (or just shy of 30 degrees C). The humidity is Florida – in other words, 77%. The “feels like” (wasn’t this formerly called a “heat index”?) is 89. Supposedly, there’s not much chance of a thunderstorm, but it’s Florida, and you may have seen that the USA’s weather forecasting ranks are depleted. Either the radar shows patches of rough weather floating about or I’m paying the price for staring at the sun a little earlier. Forecasters or no forecasters, summer in Florida means heat, humidity and the occasional “hey, we’ve never seen this in Europe” weather, so we’ll see. Share

2h ago 14.27 EDT Lineups: Mbappe is ... … not starting but might appear later. Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah, Juve’s US players who have bypassed a chance to face Guatemala in the Gold Cup semifinals to be in this event are also on the bench. Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois; Dean Huijsen, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Antonio Rüdiger; Fran Garcia, Arda Güler, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold; Vinícius Júnior, Gonzalo García. Fifa’s site believes this to be a 4-4-2 with Alexander-Arnold at the back, but more likely, the former Liverpool man won’t be spending much time near his own goal unless something’s going wrong. Juventus: Michele Di Gregorio; Lloyd Kelly, Daniele Rugani, Pierre Kalulu; Andrea Cambiaso, Khephren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli, Alberto Costa; Kenan Yildiz, Randal Kolo Muani, Francisco Conceição. The European squads have been rotating a bit because they think it’s hot in the USA. Speaking of which … Share

Click here to read article

Related Articles