Real Madrid will play Salzburg in the early hours of Friday morning for a place in the round of 16. Xabi Alonso’s side have their fate in their own hands and, to finish top of the group, they need to beat the Austrian side to avoid having to worry about Al Hilal’s result. A draw would also be enough for the Whites, who would then face either Juventus or Guardiola’s Manchester City in the next round in what is already shaping up to be the new European classic.
Real Madrid’s chances of reaching the last 16
As we said, Real Madrid’s qualification for the round of 16 depends on themselves. Last Sunday’s victory over Pachuca puts them at the top of Group H, tied on four points with Salzburg. Al Hilal is third with two points, and the Mexican team is already out of the competition after two defeats.
Xabi Alonso’s side could be satisfied with a point in Friday’s early morning match, but in that case they would have to keep an eye on the Saudis. They need them to draw or lose, and if they win, they must do so by at least two goals for the Whites to go through. To finish top of the group, they need to beat Salzburg to avoid having to look at the match between Al Hilal and Pachuca. The only way Xabi Alonso’s side can be knocked out of the next round is if they lose to Salzburg and Al Hilal beat Pachuca.
Possible opponents
Madrid’s potential opponents in the last 16 will come from Group G. Juventus are top with two wins, the same as Guardiola’s City. The two sides will face each other on the final matchday to decide who finishes first and second.
Pep Guardiola’s side, which like Real Madrid is in the process of rebuilding, won its debut 2-0 against Wydad AC of Casablanca with goals from Phil Foden and Jéremy Doku. In their second match, they crushed Saudi Arabia’s Al Ain 6-0 with goals from Ilkay Gundogan, who scored twice, Claudio Echeverri, Erling Haaland from the penalty spot, Oscar Bobb, and new signing Ryan Cherki.
Their 8-0 record is surpassed only by Juventus, who are top of the group with a 9-1 record, meaning that a draw against City would be enough to see them through as group winners. Juventus go into the game on the back of two big wins. In their debut in the tournament, they won 5-0 against Al Ain and in their second match they won again with a clear 4-1 victory over Wydad Casablanca.
The last meeting between the two sides was on December 11, 2024, when Juventus won 2-0 in the Champions League with goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Weston McKennie.
Schedule and where to watch the match between Juventus and Manchester City
The match between Juventus and Manchester City, corresponding to the third matchday of the group stage, will be played on Thursday, June 26, at 9:00 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on Telecinco and Mitele.es. It can also be viewed on the DAZN platform and app.