The big day had arrived. If this 2025 club World Cup annoyed more than one and some consider it a simple additional summer tournament, on the side of Madrid, we take this competition very seriously. And for good reason, the Merengues want to be again after a particularly bad 2024/2025 season. But above all, this is an opportunity to see Xabi Alonso's first games at the head of Real Madrid. And this duel against Al-Hilal was the first official meeting of the Basque on the Merengue bench. With a host of absent, he decided to bet on a 4-3-3, therefore not particularly tactically. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen were holders in defense, the environment was made up of Tchouameni, Valverde and Bellingham and in front, it was Gonzalo Garcia who took the place of Fiévreux Kylian Mbappé alongside Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo Goes. Opposite, some names known for the first of Simone Inzaghi also, like Renan Lodi, Malcom, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibay, Joan Cancelo or Ruben Neves.
And it was the Saudi formation that started strong, with a first powerful strike from Milinkovic-Savic pushed as best they can by Courtois (2nd). Behind, Ruben Neves was looking for the skylight from afar but lacked the frame (4th). A declaration of intentions of a team of al-Hilal clearly not come to do the figuration this evening. Asencio offered himself the first Madrid attempt, with a distant strike well captured by Bono (6th). Marcos Leonardo, in the surface, lacked the frame of little (10th). Clearly, the Merengues were jostled from the start, and Vinicius Jr even received a yellow for simulation (15th). And what did this new Real Madrid give on this start of the match? With the ball, we saw a very enterprising Huijsen, while Taa also participated in the construction but still easily took the water behind. It is rather in the middle that it was fishing. Without the ball, the Madrilenians crowded much more intense than we used to see, but not always intelligently, leaving substantial spaces behind. Renan Lodi also thought he had opened the scoring, but he was offside very little (19th). Clearly, it was Al-Hilal who controlled the debates in front of a completely harmless Real Madrid. The Madrid's individual quality was still a constant threat to the Saudis, like Rodrygo's strike just above the transverse bar (33rd).
A disappointing Real Madrid
But it was the surprise guest of the day, Gonzalo Garcia, who was going to make the difference. On a counterattack he himself launched, the Spanish striker, well served by Rodrygo, ended with a small ball stung in front of Bono (1-0, 34th). With a little success, since her shot seemed to be missed, but she still finished at the bottom of the nets. Behind, after a good Bellingham ball, the 21 -year -old striker came to Bono (37th). The joy of the hard rock Stadimu, clearly pro-Madrid tonight, was not going to last very long. On a ball lost by Asencio in the surface, the Madrid defender surrounded Marcos Leonardo. The referee did not tremble and indicated the penalty spot. Ruben Neves transformed wonderfully, taking Courtesherto on the wrong foot (1-1, 41st). Salem al-Dawsari posed serious problems at Real Madrid on his left side and tried a good rolled up after a superb collective action, but it was brushing against the frame after being slightly deflected by Asensio (45th+2). Age of parity at halftime therefore, and a globally very disappointing Real Madrid with the ball, without idea, and with Huijsen – central defender we remind you – as the only player capable of breaking lines this evening. Upon returning from the locker room, Arda Güler came into play in place of Raul Asencio, and Tchouameni went into defense. And the Turk found the bar on his first hit hit, arrived launched and taking up a center of Vinicius in the area (46th).
A little more sharp than in the first period, Real Madrid was starting to approach Bono cages more dangerously, and Valverde was very close to finding the fault with a distant power (50th). The entry of the young Turk had clearly fluidified the game, even if Real Madrid remained fragile, like this occasion by Leonardo (53rd). Fatigue was also starting to be felt on one side as on the other, with more and more inaccuracies, but it was the team of Xabi Alonso who had taken control of the match. Marcos Leonardo was spoiling a new opportunity after a ball lost by Lucas Vazquez (71st), while Valverde stumbled on Bono (73rd). We are not going to lie, the second period of this meeting was not necessarily very pleasant to follow, in line with most of the matches played so far in this new competition. Clearly, the players were charred, like a Vinicius released before the end, and a Renan Lodi on the ball joints. Despite some not necessarily very dangerous assaults of Casa Blanca on the end of the match, the score has no longer moved. Bono even released a penalty to Fede Valverde (90th+1), after a stroke of Al-Qahtani in the face of Fran Garcia. Superb intervention by the Moroccan porter to ensure a point for his own. Real Madrid will have the opportunity to do it on Sunday against Pachuca, while Al-Hilal will challenge Salzburg. But clearly, Xabi Alonso has work to do.
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