Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid are getting goals, but lineup questions loom ahead of Club World Cup semi vs. PSG

East Rutherford, NJ – The glitter and glamor that are a decisive element of the Real Madrid Experience was completely visible on Saturday at Metlife Stadium, complete with the second largest audience of the club World Cup so far and a victory Borussia Dortmund To book a place in the semi -final. The convenience of a 2-0 win in the 90th minute went into pure chaos in stopping time with the score 3-2 in favor of Real Madrid through the last whistle, a red card on Dean Huijsen Only add to the drama. However, it was not only a bump in the way for the semi -finalists of the World Cup – the stopping Time Mess introduced a new set of Lineup questions for manager Xabi Alonso, who did not exactly support it when the game had a simpler Scoreline.

Before the stop time started, it looked like it Gonzalo Garcia Was again the star of Real Madrid show. The 21-year-old scored the opening goal of the game after just 10 minutes and added a fourth goal to his great count at the club World Cup. He was also not the only newcomer who left his mark on the game, with the 20-year-old Arda Guler The assist to tackle the goal of Garcia and new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold recorded an assist of his own 10 minutes later Fran GarciaThe goal. The opening goal offered a sincere look at the next generation of Real Madrid attackers, with Guler’s well -placed Long Ball and Gonzalo Garcia’s impressive film for the goal.

More than 80 minutes after Garcia left his mark on the game, Kylian Mbappe corresponded to the output of the 21-year-old with his own goal on Saturday. It eventually became the game winner and came up with a stunning flying kick who offered memories of the quality that made him an obvious choice when Madrid signed him last year. It also introduced a new iteration of the annual mystery of Real Madrid about where Kylian Mbappe fits exactly in the photo.

Garcia may have started as a temporary designation for a Mbappe affected with gastroenteritis, but with Real Madrid on just two games away from their first trophy since the UEFA Champions League from 2023-24, it is difficult to drop the new manager Xabi Alonso from the 21-year-old from the line-up. There is still a roughness in Alonso’s version of Real Madrid, which he hopes will look like its high intensity Bayer Leverkusen Team, as well as a few memories why the team should evolve after four successful but inconsistent years with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm. Although Imperfect was a function, it became standing out of a balance the more difficult after Mbappe appeared. It is not a reflection of the quality of Mbappe – the 43 goals he has so far in a Madrid shirt would indicate different – but with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Under the attacking options of Los Blancos, Ancelotti was unable to find the right fit for all three.

It meant that for many the primary task of Alonso as the new manager of Real Madrid would be to find a way to make the natural place of Mbappe on the field, whereby the club world offers an early opportunity to find the answers. Alonso and Mbappe were unlucky with the player’s gastroenteritis diagnosis, so that he had to miss the group stage and even gave Alonso his ability to start on Saturday as a Gameday decision. His 23 -minute shift in Metlife Stadium, in combination with a similar outing in the Tour of Tuesday of 16 victory over Juventus, indicates that Alonso may have to choose between Garcia and Mbappe when they are confronted Paris Saint-Germain, the former club of Mbappe, in the semi-final of Wednesday.

Alonso has not rejected the idea of ​​Garcia and Mbappe ViniciusBut how exactly those three find a way to play together is a new headache for Madrid’s newest manager. That is with the consideration that Rodrygo is probably on its way, which in theory should make the load of Alonso lighter. Garcia’s performance is demonstrably a champagne problem, which is loyal to a team that is a constant representation of what football elitism looks like. However, a good problem is still a problem. Finding ways to win, just as Madrid did on Saturday, is such a strong solution as every but Mbappe’s role in those victories can define Alonso’s inheritance at Real Madrid, even if it is still the early days of his term of office.