Vini: Assist for Valverde 'one of the best' of career

Vinícius Júnior said his backheel assistance for Federico Valverde successful Real Madrid's 3-0 Club World Cup triumph implicit RB Salzburg connected Thursday was "one of the champion of my career."

The Brazil guardant enactment Madrid up successful the 40th infinitesimal astatine Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, earlier mounting up Valverde to marque it 2-0 earlier halftime.

Forward Gonzalo García added a 3rd successful the 84th infinitesimal -- his 2nd extremity successful 3 games -- to spot Madrid apical Group H and advancement to the past 16, wherever they'll play Juventus connected Tuesday.

"I'm precise blessed with the assist, I deliberation it's 1 of the champion I've had successful my career," Vinícius said successful his post-match quality conference, aft being named the game's MVP, praising the interaction of manager Xabi Alonso.

"They've been 2 precise bully weeks. We're gaining confidence, and trying to recognize arsenic rapidly arsenic imaginable what the brag wants. I person to play wrong a spot more, and I've ever liked that, I'm person to goal."

Vinicius' backheel drew comparisons with Real Madrid fable Guti, who gave a celebrated backheel walk successful a crippled with Deportivo La Coruña.

"Vini's was precise good, but I was connected the tract for Guti's, and it was crazy," Alonso told DAZN. "So I'll spell with that one. But Vini's was almost, astir the same."

Alonso said helium was conscionable arsenic pleased with Vinicius' publication without the ball.

"Vini had a large game, but not conscionable the extremity and assistance -- I absorption connected his sacrifice, his antiaircraft commitment," Alonso said. "It allowed america to beryllium precise compact with and without the ball, and past successful onslaught having a spot much freedom.

"I'm blessed for Vini, it's important to consciousness good. We each person a bully feeling, maine too, but there's a agelong mode to go."

Madrid employed a caller enactment against Salzburg, with 3 cardinal defenders, a benignant Alonso often favoured with Bayer Leverkusen.

Alonso said switching to the strategy had "always been there, successful my head."

"The players person the quality and the shot civilization to cognize wherefore we we usage it, and the affirmative things we get from it," helium said. "In the archetypal fractional we had a batch of stableness and maturity.

"Having that flexibility helps us."

Alonso besides had affirmative words for Garcia, 21, who has impressed successful onslaught successful the lack of Kylian Mbappé, who is inactive recovering from gastroenteritis.

"[Garcia] is simply a emblematic fig nine, helium reminds maine of Raul," Alonso said. "He's ever successful the close position, ever waiting for the chance, and helium has a large enactment ethic."