Three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal | FIFA Club World Cup | OneFootball

The FIFA Club World Cup, in many ways, is the biggest tournament of the year but has come at a time when many clubs would prefer the rest.

With the tournament being hosted in the United States of America just weeks after the end of the regular season and the international break, European clubs particularly are struggling with fatigue and Real Madrid will be no different.

The Merengues begin their campaign later tonight against Al-Hilal and the game will be no easy walk in the park for the Spanish giants. After all, their opponents are one of the best clubs in the cash-rich Saudi Pro League.

With names like Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Joao Cancelo in their ranks, they have quality all across the field and will prove to be a serious test.

Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal.

The start of a new era

As Real Madrid prepare to step onto the field for their first FIFA Club World Cup game, they also welcome the start of a new era – one that could define their next glorious generation.

The Merengues won it all under Carlo Ancelotti but their luck began to fade this season as they looked lacklustre, unconvincing, and anything but a team out to win it all.

Xabi Alonso’s arrival signifies the board’s decision to embrace a new generation of managers, a completely different dynamic, and an idea of vibrant football that the club has lacked in years.

Over the years, Los Blancos have been associated with a winning mentality who push through even the most difficult of situations and scrape through wins, often regardless of who played the better football.

The new manager plans to change that, and a lot more, as he clearly looks forward to building a team that not only wins but does so by playing proactive football.

From tonight, the world will look forward to a Real Madrid that actively wins back the ball, puts pressure and works hard when out of possession, and attacks with pure intent from the first to the final whistle.

All the changes begin now from the game against Al-Hilal.

Massive debuts

Ready for his debut. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Real Madrid have gone all out this summer and have made a clear statement of their intent heading into the FIFA Club World Cup.

It is Florentino Perez’s biggest dream to make Real Madrid the first-ever winners of the global event and the speed with which they have been making moves on the transfer front speaks volumes of their intentions.

The men in white have already completed three signings this summer – Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Franco Mastantuono and two of them will be with the team for the upcoming event.

Real Madrid’s game against Al-Hilal, thus, is one to look forward to with keen attention as it will feature the debuts of both Huijsen and Trent – two players who have arrived to define an era at the club.

Both defenders will be regular starters in Alonso’s plans and it remains to be seen if their debuts arrive from the bench or as a part of the starting lineup.

All signs, however, point to both players starting against the Saudi Arabia-based club and they will look to leave a positive impression on the manager and the fans.

The midfield question

Despite adopting a three-man defence in most of his teams so far, it is believed that Alonso foresees a 4-3-3 to be his best bet at Real Madrid. The change in idea, however, presents him with a phase of discovery and experimentation he must get past.

The new manager’s choices in defence and the final third are rather straightforward but striking the right balance in the middle of the park will be key if he is to create a team that achieves all the objectives he demands of them.

The right balance between ball progress, off-the-ball work, and counter-pressure requires the right profiles to fit into the right positions. With Real Madrid having innumerable options in midfield, finding that combination will be key.

Word has it that Jude Bellingham will play as a central midfielder under the new manager and will thus start much deeper than usual. He is expected to be paired with Federico Valverde in the department given the Uruguayan’s irreplaceable work rate.

Who the manager chooses to pair with the duo remains to be seen. All signs point to Aurelien Tchouameni entering the dynamics as a pivot, but the coach’s fondness for Arda Guler could see a complete change in the setup as well.

Dani Ceballos, moreover, provides a profile with more stability on the ball and better distribution and the coach could well prioritise that facet over Tchouameni’s defensive prowess.