England defender endures torrid first outing in famous white shirt as Real Madrid held to disappointing draw
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s dream move to Real Madrid turned into a nightmare debut as the Spanish press unanimously savaged his “underwhelming” performance in Wednesday’s 1-1 Club World Cup draw with Al Hilal.
The former Liverpool star, who cost Madrid £8.5 million in a controversial early release deal, struggled throughout his 64-minute appearance in Miami and was brutally dissected by Spain’s notoriously unforgiving media.
The Verdict: 5 Out of 10 Across the Board
In a rare show of unity, Spanish publications lined up to deliver identical poor ratings for the England international’s first outing in the famous white shirt.
Sport, Football Espana, Goal and Defensa Central all awarded Alexander-Arnold just 5 out of 10 – a damning assessment of what was supposed to be the start of a glorious new chapter.
There has been much talk about Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of his debut, but it was an underwhelming one,” wrote Football Espana. “He was not at his best defensively, and he struggled to make an impact in attack before being substituted.”
Goal’s verdict was equally brutal: “Not the best debut. Some of his passing was loose, and he was badly exposed defensively.”
The Horror Show Moment
The 26-year-old’s nightmare was encapsulated in the 18th minute when he gifted possession to Salem Al-Dawsari with a poor header, then found himself hopelessly out of position as the Saudi winger tore through Madrid’s defence.
Alexander-Arnold was left desperately chasing shadows as Renan Lodi raced in behind to slot home what appeared to be the opening goal – only for VAR to spare his blushes by ruling it out for offside.
“I don’t know how you saw it on TV, but Trent getting out of the way during the Al Hilal counterattack… it left me speechless,” responded Sport reporter Joel Del Rio in the outlet’s live matchblog.
Physical Struggles in Florida Heat
Sport’s Sergi Capdevila was particularly critical of Alexander-Arnold’s physical condition, noting he was “physically far from his best” in the extreme Florida heat.
“Xabi Alonso positioned him inside with the ball, but he never looked comfortable or created any advantage,” Capdevila wrote. It wasn’t the best debut for the Englishman, who also failed to contribute offensively.
The statistics backed up the visual evidence – Alexander-Arnold lost more duels than any other player in the first half before being withdrawn by manager Xabi Alonso after just 64 minutes.
From Anfield Hero to Bernabeu Zero
The contrast with his Liverpool legacy could not have been starker. Just weeks after lifting his second Premier League title at Anfield, where he spent 20 years rising through the ranks to become one of the world’s most acclaimed full-backs, Alexander-Arnold found himself struggling to impose his game at the highest level.
His much-vaunted passing range – the primary reason Madrid pursued him so aggressively – deserted him on the night, with several wayward balls gifting possession to Al Hilal in dangerous areas.
Even Defensa Central, attempting to find positives, could only muster that it was a “discrete debut” where “the profile of footballer that has been incorporated into the club is confirmed above all.
The £8.5 Million Question
Madrid’s decision to pay Liverpool £8.5 million to secure Alexander-Arnold’s services 29 days before his contract expired – making it the most expensive free transfer in history according to Sky Sports – already looked questionable after just one match.
The Spanish giants were so desperate to have him available for the Club World Cup that they agreed to pay a single payment of €10m plus his June wages, rather than wait until July 1 when he would have been available for nothing.
On this evidence, they might be wondering if they should have saved their money.
Alonso’s Tactical Experiment
New manager Xabi Alonso attempted to salvage something from Alexander-Arnold’s struggles by switching to a back three in the second half, with the England international pushing into a more advanced midfield role.
While Madrid enjoyed their best spell of the match during this period, pinning Al Hilal back and creating several chances, it was telling that their threat diminished once Alexander-Arnold was substituted.
Post-Match Defiance
Despite the criticism, Alexander-Arnold remained defiant in his post-match interview, insisting he had made the right decision in leaving Liverpool.
“It’s a very proud moment for me. It’s a moment that most, if not all players, dream of at some point in their life,” he told DAZN. “But it was very challenging to play in that heat and very different from England.”
His claim that he “felt the support from the moment I signed for the club” may ring hollow, however, if performances like this become the norm.
What Happens Next?
With matches against Pachuca and RB Salzburg still to come in the group stage, Alexander-Arnold has immediate opportunities to silence his critics and prove he can adapt to Spanish football.
But the brutal reality is that Real Madrid fans – and the Spanish media – have notoriously short patience with expensive signings who fail to deliver.
The boy from Liverpool who dreamed of conquering Europe in white has discovered that at the Santiago Bernabeu, reputations count for nothing and every performance is scrutinised under the harshest spotlight in world football.
On this evidence, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Spanish adventure might prove to be more nightmare than dream.
Image credit: Кирилл Венедиктов (Kirill Venediktov) via Wikimedia Commons — Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution‑ShareAlike 3.0 Unported
