Xabi Alonso has not succeeded in making a winning start of his term of office as head coach of Real Madrid after a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in the opening group phase of the 2025 Club World Cup.
It was a bad version of Real Madrid in the opening phase, where Hilal was already the side trying to force the Ascendency. Former Atletico Madrid defender Renan Lodi had the ball at the back of the net before the Saudi Pro League side, but he was ruled as offside in the run-up to the goal.
But it didn't matter much for Real Madrid when they took the lead just after half an hour in Miami. A sharp counterattack in which Trent Alexander-Arnold, Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior are involved in Rodrygo, plays in Gonzalo Garcia, who slid the ball past Hilal goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
But unfortunately for Real Madrid their lead did not last long. Raul Asencio polluted Marcos Leonardo in the penalty area, which led to referee Facundo Raúl Tello Figueroa who pointed to the place. Ruben Neves stepped up and he made no mistake by sending Thibaut Courtois in the wrong way.
The second half saw a much better performance by Real Madrid, but it was still a fairly flat on the Alonso side. But again, it could have done for nothing, because they had a golden chance to win the game in a stop time, because they got their own penalty for an error on Fran Garcia. But Federico Valverde's effort was saved by ex-Sevilla goalkeeper Bounou.
It is a disappointing result for Real Madrid, but the performance was certainly more disturbing. Alonso has work to do, but he only has four days until the next match on his part, against the Mexican side Pachuca.