Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund close out the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup in the United States, with a spot among the four best teams on the planet at stake. Xabi Alonso continues to get players back as the tournament progresses and has already confirmed his starting eleven for tonight’s match.
Real Madrid, in search of the semifinals
Real Madrid wants to sneak into the top four teams on the planet. The Club World Cup can make up for a season to forget for the Whites after being knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal and seeing Barcelona beat them in the Copa del Rey Final and take the La Liga title, which meant the end of Carlo Ancelotti as coach of the Whites. But this Club World Cup and the arrival of Xabi Alonso seem to have given a fresh and renewed air to a team that is showing another side.
The capital club’s new coach is gradually putting the pieces together to create a team that plays the style he wants to impose. The arrival of Alexander-Arnold and Huijsen has brought some stability to one of the most vulnerable areas of the squad throughout the season, and from there, a team has been built with a totally different system to that of the previous coach, strengthening the midfield and with tighter and more offensive lines, predominating fast play, both in defense and attack, giving width to the field, and with movements of the players to break lines. Güler is the new architect of the team and is one of its standout players, starting from central midfield and distributing the ball. With Valverde and Bellingham as his loyal squires but with more freedom, the team seems to have found a balance that was previously lacking.
Xabi Alonso gets players back
Xabi Alonso still has a lot of work ahead of him to implement his ideas. It won’t happen in this World Cup, there’s no time, but he is beginning to show what Real Madrid could be like next season. As training progresses, his players are adapting to what their coach is asking of them, and he also has more pieces to complete his puzzle every day. If Mbappé, Carvajal and Militao returned against Juventus, Endrick also returns against Borussia Dortmund, having recovered from injury. Camavinga has also trained with the group, but he is not fit enough to be included in the squad.
Xabi Alonso’s big question
One of the big questions for tonight’s game is whether he will continue to count on Gonzalo or give Mbappé the starting spot. Against Juventus, the youth player won out, which was logical after the Frenchman had been called up for the first time following the gastroenteritis that caused him to miss the first three games. He played in the second half and looked a little out of rhythm. However, Gonzalo has continued to improve with every game, fighting for the World Cup Golden Boot and proving that he is a player to be reckoned with for the future of Real Madrid. The question was whether to stick with the youth player or go for the Golden Boot winner of the season. The question has been answered now that the starting eleven has been announced.
Real Madrid’s official line-up against Borussia Dortmund
Goalkeeper
- Thibaut Courtois
Defenders
- Fran García
- Antonio Rudiger
- Dean Huijsen
- Trent Alexander – Arnold
Midfielders
- Aurélien Tchouaméni
- Arda Güler
- “Fede” Valverde
- Jude Bellingham
Forwards
- Gonzalo
- Vinicius Jr.