Alonso's Real Madrid Debut: A Rocky Start in the Club World Cup against Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal held Real Madrid to a draw in Alonso's inaugural game with the team. - Struggling Enjoyment in Alonso's Real Madrid Premiere
Debuting as Real Madrid's coach wasn't a walk in the park for Xabi Alonso. Just a month after parting ways with Bayer Leverkusen, the 43-year-old found himself grappling with a 1:1 draw against Al-Hilal in his inaugural match at the Club World Cup in Miami. Despite a promising performance from the royals, it was the goalkeeper Bono's stellar save that denied Fede Valverde a winning goal in the last minute.
With 62,415 spectators, mostly clad in Real Madrid's white, youngster Gonzalo Garcia put the royals ahead with a counterattack in the 34th minute. Al-Hilal, boasting former Bayern player Joao Cancelo, equalized thanks to a penalty from Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves in the 41st minute. For the most part, Al-Hilal outperformed Real Madrid, dominating the game. Post-interval, Real Madrid picked up the pace, with substitute Arda Guller barely missing the crossbar in the 46th minute.
Simone Inzaghi took over Al-Hilal's bench, 18 days after Inter Milan's hurtful 0:5 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Munich. Alonso, who succeeded Carlo Ancelotti as Real's new coach, was under the spotlight. The Basque coach was active on the sidelines but failed to see much progress from his team still without Antonio Rudiger due to a knee operation.
Other opponents in Group H for Real Madrid include Red Bull Salzburg and CF Pachuca from Mexico.
Briefing Xabi Alonso
After a deficit in trust from his previous tenure at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso has found himself at Real Madrid. Known for his remarkable playing career, Alonso's debut as coach marked a fresh chapter in the world of football.
Alonso's Real Madrid Squad
Trusting the youth, Alonso started Gonzalo García, Rodrygo, and Vinicius Jr., over Kylian Mbappe in the opening match. This decision reflected his ambition to give chances to young talents and stray from conventionality.
Performance Observations
Alonso's trio of Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold introduced in the game, didn't demonstrate significant impact on the defensive struggles. Real's defense appeared disconnected, with vinicius Jr. failing to be decisive in the attack, reflecting the team's overall underwhelming display.
Al-Hilal's Showcase
Couched by Simone Inzaghi, Al-Hilal executed a stellar first half, outshining Real Madrid with an 11-5 advantage in shots created. Yassine Bonou, Al-Hilal’s goalkeeper, was a standout player, making a crucial save during added time to secure the draw for Al-Hilal. The Saudi team capitalized on Real Madrid’s defensive errors, scoring a crucial penalty just before halftime.
The Commission has also been briefed about the progress made in Xabi Alonso's implementation of the measures taken by Real Madrid to implement the common fisheries policy, as he navigates his fresh chapter in the world of football as their new coach. During the Club World Cup against Al-Hilal, Alonso found himself in a challenging situation reminiscent of a football game, with the Saudi team outperforming Real Madrid for the most part.
