Three takeaways from Real Madrid 0-4 PSG | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s run at the FIFA Club World Cup came to an end at the MetLife Stadium on Wednesday night in a game that will haunt the players and Xabi Alonso for a long time to come.

The reigning European champions tore the men in white apart with ease and never, for a moment, appeared to be in any discomfort. Their coordinated press made Los Blancos suffer for possession and Real Madrid had no press of their own to exert any dominance.

Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Ousmane Dembele doubled the lead just three minutes later to pin Real Madrid back and deliver an early blow.

A second goal for Ruiz midway through the opening half only worsened the situation and pegged Los Blancos further back. The final blow arrived after the break when Goncalo Ramos scored in the 87th minute to complete the 4-0 scoreline.

Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways for Xabi Alonso from Real Madrid 0-4 PSG.

A horror defensive show

Dean Huijsen’s absence was always expected to play a big role in deciding the result on Wednesday night. However, it turned out to be the single biggest reason Los Blancos crashed out humiliated as they did.

With the Spanish star unavailable, Antonio Rudiger and Raul Asencio started for Real Madrid in defence and both players dished out pathetic performances.

The PSG attack has no problems creating threats in the Real Madrid area and breezed past the defence time and time again with ease. The fact that they had five big chances and 17 shots, in itself, says everything about how poor the centre-back pairing was.

As if the French champions’ attack was not lethal enough to deal damage, both Rudiger and Asencio individually made massive errors to directly help the Parisiens score.

Rudiger’s lack of form may be understandable considering that he is just returning from injury and was directly thrown into the deep end. Asencio, however, is now making a very strong case that he does not have the level needed to thrive at Real Madrid.

Serious questions have to be asked about the defence and Real Madrid’s plan for next season. At this point, it appears like a lot will depend on the return and fitness of Eder Militao.

Curtains on a very long season

Season over, at last. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The 2024-25 campaign is, quite clearly, the longest season Real Madrid have played and last night’s game finally closed the curtains on it.

Considering the team’s humiliation in the UCL, botched La Liga title race and defeats in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup, it was clear that it would not be a season to remember for the Real Madrid faithful.

The humiliating exit in the FIFA Club World Cup, now, ensures that the team’s campaign ends with no silver lining – and while losing to PSG is not all that bad, the manner in which they were hammered is nothing short of a humiliation.

Los Blancos were simply nowhere close to their best last night, with the defence stealing the spotlight as the worst department. At the same time, however, the midfield was never in control of the game while Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe were abysmal too.

The players will now head for a short vacation, but there is not much time to recover as the next season starts in just over a month. In the meantime, Xabi Alonso has a lot of homework to do on the team’s recent humbling and how to take his side forward.

Adios Luka and Lucas

Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez, over the years, have been two of the most reliable and vital members of the Real Madrid dressing room. Given their age and contractual situation, however, the club opted against offering them a renewal and only kept them long enough to take part in the Club World Cup.

Last night’s heartbreak, thus, was all the more painful for Modric and Vazquez who did not deserve to suffer such a devastating result in their final game for the club.

Real Madrid going all the way and lifting the trophy would have been the ideal, and a fitting farewell to two players who have been part of a special era for Los Blancos.

Now, their last game for the team will remain the 4-0 drubbing against PSG and it is clear that they deserved better.

The legends have now officially played their final game for the club and will never be seen on the field again defensively the Real Madrid crest. For Real Madrid, it marks the end of an era, especially with the Croatian star now no longer a part of the dressing room.

Despite his age, Modric never delivered a poor performance for Real Madrid. He aged like fine wine and always stepped up to take responsibility on nights when the team needed him the most.

The captain’s exit marks the complete end of Real Madrid’s old guard in midfield and the club can only hope the young core can carry forward the legacy of the Modric-Casemiro-Kroos era.