Real Madrid were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Al Hilal in their FIFA Club World Cup opening match. Meanwhile, Italian outfit Juventus put on a strong performance as they stomped Al Ain with a convincing 5-0 score.
Madrid Held in Alonso’s First Match
Los Blancos’ first adventure under Xabi Alonso’s tenure didn’t end in the best possible fashion as they only drew against Al Hilal. Madrid were keen on starting their FIFA CWC campaign with a victory, but it was far from easy.
Alonso’s men face a very solid team that was also eager to showcase their quality towards their new boss, Simone Inzaghi. The tactician looks more than capable of putting out a solid tactical game plan to slow down Madrid.
However, Los Blancos’ quality remains high, and it was visible from their opening goal, scored by Gonzalo Garcia. The 21-year-old was finishing off a lovely and fast counter-attacking play after 34 minutes of play.
Unfortunately, that lead didn’t last until half-time as Al Hilal equalised through Ruben Neves’ spot kick, there minutes before the break. Madrid had a big chance to win it as they got a penalty kick late in the game, but Federico Valverde missed.
Juventus Shine Against Al Ain
In another match, the Italian giant picked up a big win against their UAE-based opponent as Igor Tudor’s men put five past their opponent. Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceicao both scored a brace, while Kenan Yildiz completed Juve’s victory with his first-half goal.
The fine performances from Kolo Muani and Conceicao are certainly intriguing since both players are still on loan. The French international is technically still a PSG player, while the Portuguese international could return to Porto next season.
The Bianconeri are keen on keeping Muani as they could lose Dusan Vlahovic this summer, but there’s still no clear idea regarding Conceicao’s future. For now, it’s more likely that the 22-year-old will return to his parent club, as Juve didn’t exercise their buy option.
Meanwhile, in other matches, Manchester City beat Wydad AC 2-0, while RB Salzburg edged Pachuca 2-1.
