Real Madrid faced off with Al Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. It was a high-energy game that concluded with a dramatic, hard-fought 1-1 tie. The game marked Xabi Alonso’s first match in charge of the Spaniards. Sadly, this time he couldn’t find a victory.
The night could not have begun more auspiciously for Real Madrid. Just five minutes later, in the 34 th minute, Gonzalo Garcia scored the equal beut, providing a clinical finish after a superb team passing effort down the right wing. The lead would be short lived, with Al Hilal equalizing just before halftime. Ruben Neves equalized from the spot, sending Real keeper Thibaut Courtois the wrong way.
Both squads labored under the searing Miami sun, as conditions were no less than 90 degrees (32 C). Though they had three clear-cut chances to increase their lead, Real Madrid failed to secure ever again. In a surprising turn of events, Federico Valverde stepped up to take an important penalty under immense pressure at the very end. His miss deprived his team of a much-needed victory.
English fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold had his first go as a starter for Real Madrid after his summer switch from Liverpool. He called his debut an “incredible day” and said he looks forward to helping the team win at the highest level.
We’re all disappointed we didn’t do that,” Alexander-Arnold told the press after the game. There was a lot to like in that second half. He explained the noticeable change in Real Madrid’s performance in the second half. He maintained, “We moved the ball around better in the second half. It’s a hot day here, so it’s nice to keep the ball and make the other team run.
Alonso agreed with Alexander-Arnold’s view that the team has struggled and is looking to turn things around. He noted that the first half didn’t meet their high standards. He did give credit for the notable gains from the latter half. We created chances from a siege mentality, we forced them to sit deep in second half, put crosses in, managed to get shots away. We missed the late penalty, but these things are in football,” he said.
Reflecting on the match’s environment, Alonso said, “It was a very tough atmosphere. Despite an underwhelming win-loss record, he remained positive about his team’s upside. We’ve got to learn from every game, take positives,” he said. We can learn and continue to do better.
The draw had Real Madrid with plenty to reflect on as they head into their upcoming matches with Alonso at the helm. The new team will need to make the most of each chance they receive. They have to adjust their game plans to get more favorable results in future games.
