Xabi Alonso went after Vinícius and told him after the victory: 'El m...'

Real Madrid have defeated RB Salzburg by three goals to nil. The white team have played their best match in the Club World Cup and secured a place in the round of 16 as group leaders. Their opponent in the round of 16 will be Juventus from Turin.

The team's play has been remarkable. Madridists have reasons to be happy, since they're already starting to see Xabi Alonso's "touch". The Donostia-born coach is gradually implementing his style as the match progresses, just as he said in a press conference. 

A player who has stood out above the rest has been Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian scored a great goal and provided an assist reminiscent of Guti's at Riazor back in 2009. The "7" for Madrid looked like his best version, the one that should've earned him the Ballon d'Or.

His coach wanted to speak with him after the match and was quite clear with him: "You've played your best match in months". These were Xabi's words to one of his top stars, who not only stood out in attack but also in defense. This time, he did make sacrifices.

The path to follow

This is the dynamic the squad must keep in this Club World Cup. Vinicius, for example, has been criticized for his lack of defensive commitment and today, fortunately, he proved it. In addition, this system (3-5-2) allows him, in a certain sense, to be more free. 

In the upper echelons of Chamartín, they hope Xabi can be capable of bringing out the best version of his footballers. Not only has the Brazilian performed at a high level, but footballers like Bellingham or Gonzalo García have also stepped up.

There are still issues to improve, but everything will be corrected over time. The important thing is that the performance has been positive and there's visible progress and evolution that inspires hope. The sporting management are convinced that everything will keep moving upward.