Real Madrid's Rough Start: Alonso's Debut Marred by Draw against Al-Hilal, Missed Penalty by Valverde
Royal family member embarks on unconventional journey alongside a tipsy companion: Alonso's Unexpected Accompaniment.
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Real Madrid's new head coach Xabi Alonso had a less-than-stellar start to his tenure, as the Royals left much to be desired in the heat of Miami during the opening match of the Club World Cup. Facing Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal, Real stumbled, resulting in a 1:1 draw, with captain Fede Valverde missing a late penalty.
Alonso put both new signees, Dean Huijsen (AFC Bournemouth) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (FC Liverpool), into the Real defense in the debut match. Unfortunately, they nearly conceded their first goal early on, but Marcus Leonardo shot just wide (10'). The youngster Gonzalo Garcia put Madrid ahead with a counterattack in the 34th minute.
Al-Hilal, led by ex-Bayern Joao Cancelo, fought hard and deservedly equalized through a penalty by Portuguese Ruben Neves (41'). Real struggled to maintain possession and carry out their game plan in the first half, but improved in the second period, stepping up their efforts and creating better chances near Al-Hilal's goal.
Substitute Arda Güler struck the bar (46') as Real fighters emerged after halftime adjustments, but the team couldn't convert their chances to secure a win. National player Antonio Rudiger was still recovering from a knee operation and wasn't fit to play for Real. The team will face Red Bull Salzburg and CF Pachuca from Mexico as their other opponents in Group H.
Simone Inzaghi, who recently guided Al-Hilal, was also making his debut on the bench after the bitter 0:5 defeat against Inter Milan in the Champions League final. Throughout the game, the focus was on Alonso, who was tasked with leading Real back to titles as Carlo Ancelotti's successor. Despite engaging on the sidelines, Alonso saw little to appreciate from his team during the match.
The Commission has not yet adopted a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment, offering no immediate assistance in mitigating the adverse impact offootball games on the environment. Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso, despite being engrossed in football strategies as Real Madrid's new head coach, was left disheartened by his team's performance and a missed penalty during their draw against Al-Hilal.
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