Miracles, to Lourdes. Madrid remained Madrid, despite the change of coach and two signings that had been needed since December. Xabi Alonso compensated for the absence of Mbappé, who was ill, with the natural solution: Gonzalo.
His first bet as Real Madrid’s coach worked brilliantly. The youth academy player scored the 1-0 and was named MVP. The coach fixed the weak first half with smart substitutions, but the team once again struggled with finishing and missed a penalty, this time by Valverde. Al Hilal started strong and ended up capitalizing on the counterattack to earn a well-deserved draw.
Because the Saudis were better from the start. With their Brazilian wingers and high pressing, Madrid was outplayed. Al Hilal has notable players, seasoned in high-level competition: Rubén Neves, Milinkovic-Savic, Koulibaly, Lodi, Bono, Cancelo… And they function as a balanced unit-something Xabi Alonso is trying to build. Just two minutes in, Courtois had to make a save after a header by Milinkovic-Savic, as if he were still at Lazio. Before the 20-minute mark, Lodi, the left wing-back, scored-just like old times at the Metropolitano.
He started in an offside position but took advantage of Trent’s channel, who was less attentive defensively than when stepping into midfield with the ball. He has good technique and will contribute-a lot.
In Madrid’s attacking efforts, despite their big names, it was Gonzalo who showed the most quality and willingness. The first time he was able to turn from his own half, he combined with Vinicius, made a run down the left while the ball switched to the right, and got on the end of Rodrygo’s cross. It was a half-hit finish-sure-but into the net. And that’s what counts.
The 1-0 settled Madrid for a while. Huijsen has a sharp eye for vertical passes. He connected with Bellingham, who fed Gonzalo, but the youngster’s poor control cost the 2-0. The bigger mistake, though, came from Asencio, who got too comfortable against Marcos Leonardo and conceded a silly penalty. Rubén Neves converted to reward Al Hilal’s courage and quality play.
Güler came on after the break. It wasn’t a natural change, as he replaced Asencio. Tchouaméni slotted into center back, Valverde moved to holding midfield. Within a minute, Vinicius broke through, Arda hit the crossbar, Vini tried again, and Gonzalo headed just over. Bono saved a close-range shot. The substitution made Madrid more exciting. They attacked more. But, of course, they also left more gaps at the back. Huijsen stood out, as if he’d been anchoring Madrid’s defense for years. That’s when Trent began to show fatigue.
He looked exhausted chasing Marcos Leonardo, which led to his substitution. Lucas came on, though he’s on his way out. It showed in a duel he entered weakly. He lost it, and Marcos Leonardo shot over from a good position.
Brahim also came on-for Rodrygo, who contributed little. Like Vinicius. But Goes was the first to leave, still looking listless. Díaz created a good chance from the right, ending with a cutback for Valverde’s shot. Better positioned in the middle. The heat and fatigue drained Vinicius and Bellingham. Modric came on and brought the Hard Rock Stadium to its feet. Inzaghi also swapped both of his exhausted wingers. And in a late chance, Madrid had the opportunity to win. Fran García pressed Alqahtani, who flailed his arms and struck the Madrid full-back.
VAR called Tello, who awarded the penalty. Valverde took responsibility-and struck it far worse than he does from outside the box. Straight and easy for a solid keeper like Bono. Gonzalo had another header-he gets to everything-but that was it.
The improvement wasn’t enough for Xabi Alonso to win his debut. He already knows how much work lies ahead. A lot.
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