‘He reminds me of Raul': Xabi Alonso lauds young Real Madrid striker after Club World Cup win
Real Madrid beat RB Salzburg 3-0 in Philadelphia to secure top spot in Group H and earn their sport in the knockout rounds of the Club World Cup.
Goals by Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde and Gonzalo Garcia secured a comfortable success and it was Garcia who came in for special praise from manager Xabi Alonso after the game.
'I'm not just happy with his goal and assist,' Alonso revealed after the game. 'But also with how he came back to help in defence and his effort in pressing.
'He had freedom in attack and worked well with Gonzalo. Many players left the pitch feeling good. I'm really happy for him and the whole team, but we know the journey is still long.'
'What he's doing doesn't surprise me at all,' added the coach. 'He's shown it many times with Castilla. He's a classic number nine who waits for the right moment and moves smartly.
'He reminds me of Raul with his movements. I'm very happy for him. But there are no decisions yet about next season.'
21-year-old Garcia, a former Spain U19 international, top scored for Castilla last season with 25 goals and had already hit the target in the Club World Cup, scoring in the 1-1 draw with Al-Hilal last week.
Alonso also had praise for Vinicius Jr, who made an assist in addition to his goal, saying: 'He had freedom in attack and worked well with Gonzalo. Many players left the pitch feeling good. I'm really happy for him and the whole team, but we know the journey is still long.'
Kylian Mbappe is possible for Tuesday's round of 16 clash with Juventus, Alonso describing his chances of lining up as 'optimistic', while he also reported that Antonio Rudiger had cramp post-match and his condition was nothing more sinister than that.
Of his midfield players, the Real manager has been impressed by both Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham and said: 'With Jude between the lines, we can create superiority. Arda plays deeper, controls well, and links nicely with the defenders.'
However, Alonso would not be drawn on the return of Brazilian forward Endrick, who is missing the Club World Cup due to a hamstring injury. The manager confirmed he is joining the squad for training while they are in the United States.
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