It wasn't seen on TV, Xabi Alonso shouted it to Vinícius during the match and it ended in a goal.

Real Madrid finally got back on the winning track in its second match of the Club World Cup,  against Mexican side Pachuca. That victory over Javier Lozano's squad puts the Merengue team at the top of its group, temporarily qualifying it for the FIFA competition's round of 16.

It wasn't an easy match to get through, given Raúl Asencio's sending off before the 10th minute. Adversity led Xabi Alonso to effectively take the reins of the team from his technical area, constantly adjusting the tactical approaches and automatisms of his footballers.

One of the most singled out in this regard was Vinícius, a player who's still hoping to reconnect with his best form after such a long time. Real Madrid played a good match after Raúl Asencio's sending off... in part thanks to the "verdeamarelo" number 7, who followed his coach's instructions to the letter despite not being among the most outstanding players.

Xabi Alonso made a very important request to keep the team compact: "Vini, closer, closer". Those shouts from the Tolosa coach on the touchline gave a very simple order. The São Gonçalo striker had to position himself in the center of the Merengue attack and help with the defensive efforts.

Attention to detail

This more central positioning, in line with the tip of the White team's attack, worked perfectly in the goal scored by Arda Güler. Shortly after Vinícius carried out his coach's order, the play for the goal went through his boots... until it ended in Pachuca's box.

Arda Güler didn't "forgive" the Mexican team's goalkeeper from such a short distance, even though he took the shot with his "weaker" foot: his right. Examples like this show the change in every sense that Xabi Alonso's coaching staff wants to impose.

The Basque coach seems to have understood what the strengths and weaknesses of Santiago Bernabéu locker room are... he's working on the right tactical tools to enhance the former and mitigate the latter. His instructions to Vinícius Jr., whose position in the attack has once again been altered, are a clear sign of that dynamic.

It's no coincidence that the "verdeamarelo" number 7 finished the match playing as a forward, settled into a false nine or second striker role that's not unfamiliar to him. He already experienced those same sensations, under Carlo Ancelotti's tactical command, during the 23/24 season: he delivered excellent results in that campaign.