Juventus thump Al Ain 5-0 in Club World Cup after Trump visit
WASHINGTON, June 19 — Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceicao both bagged braces as Juventus hammered Al Ain 5-0 yesterday in their Club World Cup opener in Washington.
The Italian giants, who sent a delegation to visit US President Donald Trump at the White House earlier in the day, cruised to the top of Group G above Manchester City, who beat Wydad AC earlier on.
Some Juventus players and staff were asked by Trump, whom they presented with a club shirt, whether they thought a woman would be able to make their first team.
Trump was making a point against transgender athletes, but Juve general manager Damien Comolli replied that the club had a 'very good women's team'.
The Juventus players stayed silent but were far more comfortable speaking on the pitch as they dismantled UAE's Al Ain at Audi Field.
Kolo Muani, who extended his loan from Paris Saint-Germain to play in the tournament in the US, opened the scoring after 11 minutes with a towering header from Alberto Costa's cross.
Igor Tudor's Juventus doubled the lead 10 minutes later when Conceicao, on loan from Porto, skipped away from one defender in the box before firing home with the help of a deflection.
Turkish forward Kenan Yildiz netted the third after 31 minutes, carving out some space on the edge of the box and drilling in at the near post.
French striker Kolo Muani grabbed his second with a deft finish in first-half stoppage time to pile on the misery for Al Ain.
Kouame Autonne had a goal disallowed for offside for the UAE side before Conceicao struck again, benefitting from another slight deflection.
Kolo Muani might have completed his hat-trick when sent through but goalkeeper Rui Patricio shut him down well, and Douglas Luiz blasted narrowly off-target late on.
Juventus, who finished fourth in Serie A, are hoping to make up for a trophyless season with success in the United States this summer. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Reality check for Alonso as Real Madrid make lacklustre Club World Cup start
MIAMI GARDENS: Xabi Alonso's glittering Real Madrid playing career offered no protection for their new coach against the harsh spotlight of expectation on Wednesday, as they laboured to a deflating 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in their Club World Cup opener. The result laid bare the task facing the 43-year-old Spaniard, who will be expected to conjure instant success after swapping Bayer Leverkusen for the pressure cooker of 15-time European champions Madrid. "We know things take time, we need to correct a few details, everything takes time it's been only nine days of work for me here," Alonso told a press conference after watching his depleted squad struggle against opponents they were expected to dispatch with ease. With captain Dani Carvajal and centre backs Antonio Ruediger and Eder Militao absent, Real's defensive fragility was exposed despite the summer additions of Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The former Liverpool player looked particularly uncomfortable, failing to provide his trademark attacking threat while repeatedly being exposed by Al-Hilal's marauding Brazilian fullback Renan Lodi. A clumsy penalty conceded by Raul Asencio compounded Real's defensive woes, allowing the Saudi side to cancel out academy product Gonzalo Garcia's opener. Forced to innovate without the ill Kylian Mbappe and injured Brazilian teenager Endrick, Alonso's attacking options were limited. The 21-year-old Gonzalo, thrust into the spotlight, scored once but spurned several opportunities that could have settled the contest. Tactically, Alonso appeared to defer to Real Madrid tradition by abandoning the three-centre-back formation that defined his Leverkusen success, instead deploying a 4-3-3 reminiscent of Ancelotti's reign. One bright spot was Jude Bellingham's deeper, more central role, stepping into the creative void left by Toni Kroos's retirement a year ago. Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo also showed flashes of threat, but ended up succumbing to the sweltering Miami heat. With Mexican side Pachuca looming on Sunday before a final group clash with RB Salzburg, Alonso faces a race against time to impose his vision on a squad accustomed to immediate success.
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Al-Hilal earn credibility with spirited draw against Real Madrid
MIAMI: Al-Hilal might have fallen just short of victory, but their 1-1 draw with 15-time European champions Real Madrid at the Club World Cup on Wednesday underlined the growing strength of Arabic football on the world stage. Simone Inzaghi's side produced a bold, organised performance against a Real team managed by Xabi Alonso, dominating stretches of the first half and going close to securing a shock win. Al-Hilal next face RB Salzburg in a crucial Group H encounter, but Inzaghi was left encouraged by his team's display against one of the tournament's favourites. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT: Al-Hilal's performance reflects the rising competitiveness of clubs from the Gulf region, with the Saudi Pro League investing heavily in infrastructure and high-profile names. A strong run from Al-Hilal would fuel regional pride and challenge lingering perceptions about the quality gap between Middle Eastern and European football. KEY QUOTES: Al-Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi: "It was a very good game. The lads played with great organisation and personality against what I consider one of the three strongest teams in the world. I couldn't have asked for more." On the quality of Arabic football: "People are starting to realise the level is rising. I've found a club here with organisation, ambition and players hungry to compete. The game was tough with the heat and humidity, but the players handled it superbly." --REUTERS
Sinar Daily
2 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
Real Madrid held by Al-Hilal in Alonso's debut
MIAMI GARDENS - Federico Valverde missed a stoppage-time penalty as Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup on Wednesday. A large contingent of Real fans in a crowd of 62,415 at the Hard Rock Stadium were left frustrated after new manager Xabi Alonso's first game in charged ended with the points shared. Al Hilal's Italian head coach Simone Inzaghi gestures during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Group H football match between Spain's Real Madrid and Saudi's Al-Hilal at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami on June 18, 2025. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) For the Saudi club, with Italian Simone Inzaghi also making his debut on the bench, it was an impressive performance where they caused Real's defence plenty of problems before securing a hugely encouraging surprise result. Al-Hilal started off in effervescent fashion and went close in the 19th minute when Salem Aldawsari volleyed back in to the box and Marcos Leonardo's effort flew just wide. Renan Lodi had the ball in the net for the Saudi side but the effort was ruled out for offside from another dangerous break Aldawsari showed his pace but dragged his shot just wide. Real gradually gained more control over the game and Rodrygo went close in the 31st minute when he cut in from the right and his left-foot effort zipped just over the bar. But Real's quality was starting to shine through and they grabbed the lead in the 34th minute. Gonzalo, starting in place of the absent Kylian Mbappe, started the break from deep and a clever exchange of passes concluded with Rodrygo drilling a low ball into the box where Gonzalo, who had continued his run, provided a delicate finish. It was a classic counter-attacking goal but it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the Saudi side who continued to press forward with energy. Four minutes before the break, they drew level when Raul Asencio was ruled to have pulled down Marcos Leonardo and Portugal international Ruben Neves calmly tucked away the penalty. The dangerous Aldawsari, who scored the winner for Saudi Arabia in their upset win over Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar, threatened again just before the break. But Real came out strongly after the interval with Arda Guler introduced at the break rattling the bar with a volley from a Vinicius Jr. cross. 'Very satisfied' Inzaghi Moments later, Gonzalo brought a fine save out of Yassine Bounou with a firm header from a Vinicius crosss and then Valverde flashed a shot wide from 25 yards out. Having survived that storm from Real, Al-Hilal began to creep back into the game and ask some questions again of the Real defence with Marcos Leonardo failing to make the most of two good opportunities. But with three minutes of normal time remaining Real were handed the chance to take all three points when Mohammed Al Qahtani was ruled to have put his hand in the face of Fran Garcia as he tried to hold off the challenge of the Real left-back. But Valverde's shot was saved by the diving Bounou to give the Saudi team a point after a hugely creditable performance. "It was a good match for my team. They played very well. We played an excellent, organised team game. Together, we stood up to Real Madrid, which I think is one of the three strongest teams in the world. I am very satisfied," said Inzaghi. "In short, I couldn't have asked for more. I was confident. I said yesterday that I had seen the team working well, but a performance like this, also thinking about what is to come, makes me very happy as a coach," he added. Alonso was pleased with the way his team had reacted after a poor opening 45 minutes. "In the first half, we were lacking a lot of things, with and without the ball. I think we lost the ball too quickly, we didn't have much balance, and these are things we had talked about and it took us a little longer to get right," he said. "I liked the reaction at half-time, we were able to give the game another meaning, another rhythm, have more people giving it a good pause, good control of the game. - AFP
