Real Madrid - Al-Hilal: summary of Xabi Alonso's debut at the Club World Cup

Real Madrid couldn't get past a 1-1 draw in the debut of Xabi Alonso, Huijsen, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Under the Miami sun, Gonzalo García put Madridists ahead after a great pass from Rodrygo, but Neves equalized before halftime. Fede Valverde missed from the penalty spot in the 90th minute.

The Madridist coach trusted Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen for his first starting eleven as Real Madrid's coach. In addition, Xabi Alonso also sent a clear statement of intent: the young players from La Fábrica also have their place. Gonzalo García, top scorer for Castilla last season, replaced a Kylian Mbappé who couldn't play due to a fever.

A strong opponent for Alonso's first test 

The "Xabi Alonso era" began with several warnings from an Al-Hilal squad full of well-known players. The Saudi team, led by Al-Dawsari up front, also lined up with Milikovic-Savic, Malcom, Neves, and Joao Cancelo, among others. The Basque coach quickly got up from the bench after Courtois's first intervention between the posts.

The Saudi club started the match very actively, taking advantage of Real Madrid's minor adjustments in defense. Marcos Bernardo was inches away from scoring the first goal at the ten-minute mark with a cross shot that went just wide. Meanwhile, the Whites, with Gonzalo up front, weren't able to create major chances in the opening minutes.

Vinícius didn't start the match comfortably either, as he was booked early on for simulation. The Brazilian, without Mbappé in the starting eleven today, was facing a great opportunity to show he wants to be the main leader of this Real Madrid. 

Meanwhile, Al-Hilal, looking quite comfortable in building up play, managed to take the lead thanks to Renan Lodi. The Brazilian full-back scored the first goal of the match in the 19th minute, but the referee disallowed it for offside. The Saudi club, far from being inferior, showed its personality during the opening stages of the match.

Mandatory to change the mindset as soon as possible

The first twenty minutes made it very clear that, even with Xabi Alonso on the bench, the players also have to do their part. Some mistakes, which weren't being capitalized on by Al-Hilal, were identical to those from last season. In addition, Real Madrid's midfield didn't show up at the start, with Bellingham being the only one of the three to get involved.

By the half-hour mark, Al-Hilal had spent more time in the opposition half than Real Madrid, leaving a better impression than the Spaniards. However, Gonzalo García managed to completely change the dynamic. With a great finish, the academy product took advantage of a delightful assist from Rodrygo to make it 1-0 in the 35th minute.

Everything was going Real Madrid's way, but they failed to capitalize on the lead due to overconfidence from Raúl Asencio. With Marcos Bernardo facing away from goal, the Canary Islands defender committed a penalty that Rúben Neves converted in the 41st minute. Calm didn't return to the White team after Gonzalo's goal, and Al-Hilal, with little, managed to equalize before halftime.

The Saudi team could have taken the lead after an outstanding play that Salem failed to finish. Real Madrid ended up desperately waiting for the halftime whistle in a first half dominated almost entirely by Al-Hilal.

Arda Güler to shake up the match

Raúl Asencio lasted just forty-five minutes on the field. After his mistake, Xabi Alonso decided to take off the Canary Islander, bring on Arda Güler, and return to three center-backs. He almost got results right away, as the Turkish player hit the crossbar in the 46th minute. 

The second half started completely differently, with Güler leading the attacks for the nominal home team. Real Madrid looked much more intense, creating clear chances and aiming to trouble Al-Hilal. However, Inzaghi's team kept trying to take advantage of the White team's defensive lapses.

Little by little, Real Madrid began to pin back an Al-Hilal side that tried to get forward through counterattacks. However, the White team's footballers weren't managing to make a difference in individual duels. Vinícius, Rodrygo, Bellingham, and Arnold were somewhat absent.

In fact, the English full-back was substituted in the 64th minute for Lucas Vázquez after a debut in which he didn't have a standout performance. Xabi Alonso, who chose Rodrygo to start due to Mbappé's injury, also replaced the Brazilian with Brahim Díaz. The Basque coach looked for different options to secure victory in Madridists' first match at the Club World Cup.

Bono denies Real Madrid the win

The Chamartín side also benefited from the introduction of Brahim Díaz, who caused a harmless shot from Valverde from outside the box. The Spanish-Moroccan, always active, was one of Xabi Alonso's trump cards to unlock a match that Al-Hilal seemed to have under control. With 15 minutes left, the clearest chance was still Arda Güler's shot just after the start of the second half.

To make matters worse, the players began to feel the humidity that had been talked about in the days leading up to the match. The game was played at 86°F (30°C) with a humidity level above 70%, so fatigue became noticeable toward the end. Jude Bellingham was one of the footballers most affected by the high temperatures and was also substituted.

In addition to Gonzalo, Xabi Alonso also gave minutes to Víctor Muñoz, who had already been getting playing time under Carlo Ancelotti. The La Fábrica youngster came on for an erratic Vinícius, who left the match in the 80th minute. Luka Modric also got his time, as he will leave the club after the Club World Cup.

However, the match could have changed at any moment with Al Juwayr's penalty on Fran García. The Arab footballer struck the Spanish player's face with his arm, and after a VAR review, the referee awarded the penalty. Fede Valverde decided to shoot low to the left, but Bono made the save of the match and denied Madridists the win.

In the end, the match finished level (1-1) for both teams, with Gonzalo García as "MVP." Real Madrid will play its second match against Pachuca from Mexico next Sunday at 9:00 p.m. (peninsular time). The Whites will travel to Charlotte to play the match at Bank of America Stadium.