Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has urged his players to step up their game after a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in their first Club World Cup group game.
For Alonso, the encounter signalled his first competitive match without important players like Kylian Mbappe, who missed out because of sickness.
In the 34th minute, Gonzalo Garcia gave Madrid the lead. But seven minutes later, the Saudi Pro League outfit answered with Ruben Neves scoring from the penalty spot.
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Deep into injury time, Los Blancos had a golden opportunity to win it. From twelve yards, Federico Valverde missed the penalty; therefore, both teams would have to split the points.
The gaffer, after the clash, confessed, “I didn’t like the first half too much,” he admitted. “We didn’t play very well, we didn’t have good ball circulation, we were very wide, and we didn’t know how to adjust when we lost the ball. We’ll have to look at that to react.”
Early challenges notwithstanding, he commended his guys for reversing course post-break.
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He added: “We reacted in the second half; we had much better balance on the ball. We got close to the box and were able to drown them out a bit more.”
The manager, however, pointed out opportunities for development, notably in the attacking speed of Madrid.
“We still needed to be a little more precise in those final meters. Regardless of the result, we have to keep seeing positives,” he continued.
“We should have more composure with the ball. At first, we tried to play too quickly and lost the ball without passing, and then the game opened up.
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“In the second half, we were much more balanced, we brought more quality to our play, we were better, but we lacked finishing.”
Making their club debuts were fresh signings Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Alexander-Arnold was replaced off in the 65th minute, while Huijsen played the whole 90 minutes.
The former Spain international said, “Well, Dean was great, and Trent was improving, like everyone else. Happy for them.”
As they pursue their first victory under Alonso’s leadership, the Spanish heavyweights will seek to rebound in Group H.
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