Club World Cup
Alonso debut failed: Real fails at the start
18.06.2025 – 11:47 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Xabi Alonso gets rid of Real Madrid – but not as hoped for. In the heat of Miami, the “royal” with the new coach remains a lot.
Humped debut for Xabi Alonso: In his first game at the start of the club World Cup, the new trainer did not get beyond a tedious draw against Al-Hilal from Saudi Arabia. In the 1: 1 (1: 1) at 30 degrees in Miami, Alonso and Co. were even lucky that the outsider left some promising options.
Real captain Federico Valverde gave the great chance of a flattering victory for Madrid when the 26-year-old missed a penalty (90th+2).
In front of 62,415 spectators in the Hard Rock Stadium, most in real-white, the young star Gonzalo García, which was upgraded for the sick, brought the “royal” in the lead after a counterattack (34th minute).
The playful al-Hilal with ex-Bavaria João Cancelo came more than deserved to compensate with a penalty of Portuguese Ruben Neves (41.). Al-Hilal was better for a long time. After the break, the real professionals at least added something. Substitute Arda Güler shot the crossbar (46.).
There was also a debut on the coaching bench at Al-Hilal. 18 days after the bitter 0: 5 with Inter Milan in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Munich, the team from Saudi Arabia’s capital Riad played for the first time under the guidance of Simone Inzaghi.
The focus was on Alonso, who is Real as the successor to Carlo Ancelotti again. The Basque coached on the edge of the field, but did not see much of his team, in which international Antonio Rüdiger was not yet operational again after a knee operation. Real opponents in Group H are Red Bull Salzburg and CF Pachuca from Mexico.