Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso admits star Vinicius Junior “needed that goal” against RB Salzburg to give him confidence heading into their Club World Cup last 16 clash against Juventus.

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Los Blancos will go head-to-head with the Old Lady for a place in the quarter-finals when they meet at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Tuesday.

The Spanish giants come into this match after finishing top of Group H with seven points, having won two and drawn one.

Alonso was pleased to see Vinicius get his name on the scoresheet and will be hoping he can continue his form in the final third when they face Juventus.

“I’m very happy because Vini, like any forward, needed that goal,” Xabi Alonso told FIFA.

“Aside from the goals, I was also really happy with the work he put in. He helped to defend, he made sacrifices, he stayed connected with the team, didn’t switch off, and that’s very important to me.

“Especially in the first half, we controlled the game well.

“We were solid and we knew how to be patient. We played with maturity, just waiting for the right moment to attack. We had other good chances that we could have taken earlier.”