Xabi Alonso's response after Valverde's penalty, the image that says it all

Average start for the new Real Madrid under Xabi Alonso in the Club World Cup, which ended with a 1-1 draw on the scoreboard. The first half began with a flurry of chances from Al-Hilal, although Gonzalo found the opposing goal in the 35th minute.

However, a huge mistake by Raúl Asencio, who ended up being substituted at halftime, resulted in the penalty for the equalizer. Rúben Neves converted the penalty with confidence before halftime, and Real Madrid even ended up suffering.

In the second half, Madrid improved significantly with Arda Güler coming onto the field. The Turkish player was close to making it 2-1, but hit the post at the last moment. 

Fede Valverde missed the penalty at the last moment

Due to Al-Hilal's fatigue, Real Madrid began to monopolize possession and flirt with the Saudi box. Although the opponents didn't leave their own half, the danger wasn't truly real, as it didn't turn into chances.

That was until the penalty on Fran García for a slap on the footballer. The referee confirmed it on VAR and Fede Valverde stepped up from the penalty spot. Bono, an expert in these situations, saved the Uruguayan's shot at the last moment to prevent Madrid from scoring the winning goal.

Draw for Madrid in its debut in the Club World Cup, which forces it not to fail in its upcoming matches against Pachuca and Salzburg. The white team will play in Charlotte against the Mexicans, whom it already defeated last year in the Intercontinental final.

Xabi Alonso's summary

After the match, Xabi Alonso gave a summary of his team's game that encourages optimism. "The second half was much better than the first, where we lost the ball too quickly. Afterward, we gave it more meaning and had more control in the game," he explained.

"We adjusted possession better and were closer to their box. They dropped back a lot, so it was tough for us. This is going to be a slow process, and we have to take the positives and negatives to learn," he added.

Xabi Alonso reacted with some anger to Fede Valverde's missed penalty. The coach hit the bench a couple of times after Bono's save in the 90th minute.