Lackluster display is a reality check for Alonso

Xabi Alonso's glittering Real Madrid playing career offered no protection as its new coach when held up against the harsh spotlight of expectation on Wednesday, as Los Blancos labored to a deflating 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in their Club World Cup opener.

The result laid bare the task facing the 43-year-old Spaniard, who will be expected to conjure instant success after swapping Bayer Leverkusen for the pressure cooker of 15-time European champion Madrid.

"We know things take time, we need to correct a few details, everything takes time it's been only nine days of work for me here," Alonso told a news conference after watching his depleted squad struggle against opponents they were expected to dispatch with ease.

"We know that some things need to change. I saw a good reaction in the second half. We need good results here because it is a tough competition."

With captain Dani Carvajal and centerbacks Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao absent, Real's defensive fragility was exposed, despite the summer additions of Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth and Trent Alexander-Arnold from Premier League champion Liverpool.

The latter looked particularly uncomfortable, failing to provide an attacking threat, while repeatedly being exposed by Al-Hilal's marauding Brazilian fullback Renan Lodi.

A clumsy penalty conceded by Raul Asencio compounded Real's defensive woes, allowing the Saudi side to cancel out academy product Gonzalo Garcia's opener.

Forced to innovate without the unwell Kylian Mbappe and injured Brazilian teenager Endrick, Alonso's attacking options were limited.

The 21-year-old Gonzalo, thrust into the spotlight, scored once, but spurned several opportunities that could have settled the contest.

Tactically, Alonso appeared to defer to Real Madrid tradition by abandoning the three-centerback formation that defined his Leverkusen success, instead deploying a 4-3-3 reminiscent of Carlo Ancelotti's reign.

One bright spot was Jude Bellingham's deeper, more central role, as he stepped into the creative void left by Toni Kroos' retirement a year ago.

Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo also showed flashes of their usual threat, but ended up succumbing to the sweltering Miami heat.

Alonso, though, was pleased with the way his team reacted after a poor opening 45 minutes.

"In the first half, we were lacking a lot of things, with and without the ball. I think we lost the ball too quickly, we didn't have much balance. These are things we had talked about, and it took us a little longer to get right," he said.

"I liked the reaction at halftime, we were able to give the game another meaning, another rhythm, have more people giving it a good pause, good control of the game."

With Mexican side Pachuca looming on Sunday, before a final group clash with RB Salzburg, Alonso faces a race against time to impose his vision on a squad accustomed to immediate success.

For a club that measures achievement only in trophies, the pressure is immediately on Real Madrid's newest Galactico — the one in the dugout.

Alonso has yet to decide whether Mbappe will feature in Real Madrid's next Club World Cup match against Pachuca.

Mbappe missed Tuesday's training session after suffering from a viral infection. "We'll have to see how he feels," Alonso said.

"The last day he went through significant viral issues, so we'll have to wait and assess him closer to the game."

'Very satisfied'

Simone Inzaghi's side produced a bold, organized performance against a Real team.

"It was a good match for my team. They played very well. We played an excellent, organized team game. Together, we stood up to Real Madrid, which I think is one of the three strongest teams in the world. I am very satisfied," said Inzaghi.

"In short, I couldn't have asked for more. I was confident. I said yesterday that I had seen the team working well, but a performance like this, also thinking about what is to come, makes me very happy as a coach," he added.

For Al-Hilal, many foreign players who now play for the club have experience at top teams like Manchester City and are used to reaching the later stages of tournaments, such as World Cup semifinals.

Inzaghi has taken a big step out of his comfort zone after guiding Inter Milan to two Champions League finals.

"Simone is a joyful fellow and that is good for the group, but so is (Jorge) Jesus, who I thank for bringing me to Al-Hilal," rightback Joao Cancelo said, referencing his current and former manager.

Agencies