Grading Xabi Alonso’s First Six Matches in Charge of Real Madrid | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso’s first test as Real Madrid’s new boss unfolded at the FIFA Club World Cup, where he led his team to statement victories and one embarassing defeat.

After finding historic success at Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso bid farewell to the German outfit at the end of the 2024–25 season to manage his former club. The Spaniard had less than two weeks with Real Madrid before he took his new team to the United States to compete in the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup.

Under Alonso’s leadership, Los Blancos went on an unbeaten run to the semifinals, collecting four victories in five matches. They then crashed out of the competition at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain with a trip to the final on the line.

Although Real Madrid’s tournament ended in disappointment, there were plenty of takeaways, both positive and negative, for the Spanish giants and their new manager.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of Alonso’s first six matches in charge of the biggest team in the world.

Real Madrid 1–1 Al Hilal

All eyes were on Real Madrid when they kicked off their Club World Cup campaign against Al Hilal. Not only was it Alonso’s debut on the touchline for his former club, but Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen also made their highly anticipated debuts. Gonzalo García, meanwhile, got the nod up top in place of the sick Kylian Mbappé.

What unfolded at Hard Rock Stadium, though, was a mightly underwhelming performance. Los Blancos struggled to maintain possession, were caught out on the counter attack and could muster just one goal against the Saudi outfit.

Alonso’s decision to overlook Arda Güler in his XI came back to haunt him, especially once the 20-year-old put in a sublime second-half cameo. Had the Türkiye international started the game, the scoreline just might have looked differently come the final whistle.

Still, Alonso cannot be solely blamed for the lackluster 1–1 draw; after all, Fede Valverde had a chance to snatch all three points for Real Madrid in the final moments of the game, but his effort from the spot was saved.

Grade: B-

Real Madrid 3–1 Pachuca

After their disappointing performance against Al Hilal, Real Madrid came out against Pachuca with a point to prove. Alonso altered his lineup, starting Güler alongside Jude Bellingham while Valverde got the nod on the right wing.

The manager’s game plan soon went out the window, though, when Raúl Asencio was sent off just seven minutes into the game. Suddenly, Los Blancos were down to 10 men in the North Carolina heat, fighting to stay alive in the Club World Cup.

The team slowly found its rhythm against the Liga MX side, and goals from Bellingham, Güler and Valverde secured a comfortable lead for Alonso’s undermanned side. The manager’s formation gave both Güler and Valverde the freedom to push forward and get involved in the attack, something they rarely had under Carlo Ancelotti.

The game should have ended 3–0, but a lapse in concentration allowed Pachuca to score a consolation goal in the 80th minute. Sure, Real Madrid had the game wrapped up and were down to 10 men, but the late goal was a sign of things to come for the Spanish giants.

Grade: B+

RB Salzburg 0–3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s dominant 3–0 victory over RB Salzburg was the first real taste of Alonso soccer. The former Bayer Leverkusen manager rolled out his favored back three for the first time at Real Madrid, and it worked to near perfection.

Huijsen, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Antonio Rüdiger completely locked down Salzburg, limiting them to just three shots on target. The extra protection at the back allowed Fran García and Alexander-Arnold to fly forward and link up with Vinícius Júnior and Gonzalo up top.

The 3-5-2 also allotted Bellingham the freedom to create and crash the box instead of being stuck playing as a quasi-fullback to help his team out defensively. Real Madrid are at their best when Bellingham is involved in the attack, and Alonso’s experimental formation showed that tenfold.

For the first time in a long time, Real Madrid once again looked like a team capable of controlling a game for 90 minutes, keeping a clean sheet and scoring multiple goals. The combination of the three was a rarity in Ancelotti’s final campaign in charge.

Grade: A

Real Madrid 1–0 Juventus

Real Madrid’s first group stage test was a rematch of the 2017 Champions League final. Unlike that night in Cardiff, though, Los Blancos struggled to get on the scoresheet against Juventus.

Alonso rolled out an unchanged XI, but this time deployed a 3-4-3, with Bellingham moving to a more advanced position on the right wing. The move did the England international no favors, and he ultimately failed to leave his mark on the game. Bellingham even lost the most duels (8) in the match.

Despite Bellingham’s struggles, everyone else on the pitch thrived. Alexander-Arnold, in particular, played his best game since joining Real Madrid. The former Liverpool star bagged his first assist in a white shirt, setting up Los Blancos' only goal of the round of 16 clash. Alexander-Arnold looked at home playing as a wing-back; the 26-year-old was free to lead Real Madrid's attack down the right-hand side of the pitch knowing he had three center backs covering for him.

Unlocking Alexander-Arnold’s full potential will be key to Real Madrid’s success, and Alonso showed he is unafraid to put his blockbuster signing in a new position if it leads to a victory.

Grade: A-

Real Madrid 3–2 Borussia Dortmund

Everything was going perfectly for Los Blancos against Dortmund. Alonso’s decision to start Gonzalo over Mbappé paid off when the Real Madrid Castilla product bagged his side’s opener just 10 minutes into the match. Fran then followed up the goal with his first of the tournament, created by Alexander-Arnold.

With a comfortable 2–0 lead heading into stoppage time, Alonso took off five of his starters. Then, chaos ensued.

Maximilian Beier pulled one back for Dortmund before Mbappé went down the other end of the pitch and restored Real Madrid’s two-goal cushion. Then, Huijsen was sent off for needlessly pulling down Serhou Guirassy, who subsequently beat Thibaut Courtois from the spot.

Although Real Madrid walked away with the 3–2 victory, Los Blancos broke down in the final moments of the game, conceding two late goals and going down to 10 men. The red card earned Huijsen a suspension for the semifinals, which would go on to cost Los Blancos dearly.

Grade: C+

PSG 0–4 Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s Club World Cup campaign was cut short in the semifinals by PSG. Alonso's men suffered an lopsided 4–0 defeat to the defending European champions.

While it might be harsh to blame Alonso for the final sequences of Real Madrid’s match against Dortmund, the Spaniard more-than earned his fair share of criticism for his team’s semifinal embarrassment. Alonso started a perplexing front three of Mbappé, Gonzalo and Vinícius Júnior that was nothing short of a disaster.

The attackers recorded a combined one shot on target. Vinícius Júnior, who has struggled to produce on the left as of late, looked even more out of sorts on the right. The Brazilian was barely involved in the game until he drifted centrally, forcing Gonzalo to play out wide with little success.

Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior were also still uninterested in pressing or tracking back, giving PSG all the time and space in the world. Without Huijsen or Alexander-Arnold available, the Parisians carved Real Madrid and buried four goals. Had Courtois not stood on his head, PSG would have scored even more.

Alonso’s experimental front three went horribly wrong on the biggest stage of the tournament, teaching the new manager a harsh yet valuable lesson moving forward.

Grade: F

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