The painful 0: 4 against Paris is also a hit for the new trainer from Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso sees the need for action after the missed final at the club World Cup.
Julian Buhl reports from New York
Xabi Alonso could almost sorry. With an empty and almost desperate look, he looked at his players who ran towards him at the Metlife stage in New Jersey with hanging heads. Alonso was almost motionless in front of his coaching bench. Both the head coach of Real Madrid and his players already knew that they would not leave the place as the winner in the semi-finals of the club World Cup against Paris Saint-Germain.
The problem: it was just the 30th minute of play. The drinking break, which the referee had inserted for the two teams at temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius, was more than used. Because in the duel of the Champions League winners of the past two years, PSG had not left the “royal” the touch of a chance until then and, after the early goals of Fabian (6th, 24th) and Ousmane Dembélé (9th), led 3-0 at that time. Shortly before the end, Gonçalo Ramos set the final point with his goal to the 4-0 final score. A mega debacle for Real Madrid and coach Xabi Alonso, who had only taken over the post a few weeks ago and left Bayer Leverkusen for it.
The 77,542 spectators in the stadium could hardly believe what they could see. Even the referee seemed to have pity with the “royal” with the deep in their pride. Because immediately after the end of the 90 minutes of play, he whistled the game on time after only two seconds of added time.
So the royal slap in the face and humiliation was perfect. Even more: it symbolized a crashing throne of Real Madrid and the final wax release by PSG. Kylian Mbappé, the former King of Paris, who had changed too real after five years last summer, was only astonished.
From Mbappé’s point of view, the fact that his former team has now emancipated his former team from him as her former superstar at a record pace of his former superstar. Without him, PSG suddenly dominates European football at will. Paris is only missing a victory for football world domination-on Sunday in the final of the club World Cup against Chelsea.
“That was always our goal. Each of us wants it,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique at the press conference after the game. “We are still a game away from writing history.” PSG finally won all the trophies that were won this season. “And we want them too.” When asked about the devastating success against Real, the Spaniard said: “It was a really good game. A wonderful success. We are in the final and that means we really mean a lot.”
Alonso, on the other hand, had to admit as a real coach after the first defeat: “Today we suffered against a team that plays at a very high level while we are just starting a new phase.” He spoke of the early days of a new age in which Madrid started with him. “We have to admit that we couldn’t keep up today,” said Alonso and announced: “We will pull our teachings out of it.”
Alonso called the shame against PSG for the “starting point of our next season”. “They have been playing together for years and are at an incredible level,” said Alonso appreciatively about PSG. “We are not the first to lose them.” FC Bayern also had to have this experience in the quarter -finals. In the 0-2 defeat, the Munich team held well in contrast to real for a long time and mostly at eye level.
Paris St. Germain is on the best way to become the measure of things in club football. On Sunday PSG plans to complete the French (football) revolution with the winning of the World Cup title.