Alexander-Arnold settling in as Real Madrid target Club World Cup glory
With Alonso moving to a back three as soon as he had the personnel available, Alexander-Arnold has benefitted from playing as a right wing-back in their last two matches.
That is where he is set to continue against German outfit Dortmund in New Jersey on Saturday at the MetLife Stadium.
Alexander-Arnold's floated cross for Gonzalo against Juventus was the precise kind of attacking output that led Madrid to bring him in.
"He could have had many more assists already," said Los Blancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
"In training, he is horrible to play against. His corner kicks are another level.
"I don't think I have seen a guy like this with such quality. As a goalkeeper it is a nightmare, but it will help make me better."
Madrid skipper Dani Carvajal is back from a long-term injury but may end up being used more as a centre-back than in the wing-back position now that Alexander-Arnold has arrived.
Los Blancos paid as much as 10 million euros ($11.75 million) according to reports to sign the 26-year-old a month before his Liverpool deal expired, but have already made approximately 54 million euros for reaching the Club World Cup quarter-finals.
After struggling a little at right-back against Al Hilal in Madrid's opening 1-1 draw, Alexander-Arnold has steadily improved.
Manchester City's 4-3 defeat by the Saudi Arabian club showed in hindsight the defender's problems were not entirely of his own making.
Repeat with a twist
As well as beating Dortmund in the 2024 Champions League final, Madrid came from two goals behind to thrash them 5-2 this season in the group phase of the same competition. However both teams have changed significantly since then.
They have new coaches, in the newly-appointed Alonso and Dortmund's Niko Kovac, who has done a fine job since arriving in January, helping them secure qualification for next season's Champions League.
Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen's arrivals have shaken up Madrid's defence, while Borussia Dortmund brought in Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland.
However the midfielder's yellow card against Monterrey in the 2-1 last 16 win means he is suspended for the clash against Madrid and will therefore not face his older brother Jude Bellingham.
Madrid's French striker Kylian Mbappe did not score in the rout of Dortmund in October amid a crisis of confidence, but since then has found top form.
After returning from a stomach bug as a substitute against Juventus, Mbappe will be keen to start against the Bundesliga side and add to his tally of 43 goals.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star, who is on a collision course with his former club in the semi-finals should they both progress, could come in for Gonzalo, despite the 21-year-old scoring three goals at the tournament.
"It's inexplicable," said the forward, whom Alonso compared to former Madrid great Raul, saying Gonzalo had some of the same qualities.
"I saw a great ball coming in from Trent, I saw Rudiger didn't get to it and I said to myself, 'this is mine!'" added Gonzalo of his goal against Juventus.
Alonso, who arrived at Madrid from Bayer Leverkusen, will take on his former Bundesliga rivals Dortmund.
"We know (him) very well, he worked two and a half years in Germany, and he did a fantastic job," said Kovac.
"Now he's implementing everything he had in Leverkusen at Real Madrid. So we're expecting the same what we had in Leverkusen, only with different players.
"We're looking forward to it but you have to play football for 90 minutes, and if we put everything onto the pitch, the same performance as we saw (against Monterrey), I think that we will have a good chance."
© 2025 AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Ponting says 'no reason' why Root cannot top Tendulkar's run record
Root, during a superb innings of exactly 150 in the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford, went from fifth to second in the all-time list, overtaking India's Rahul Dravid and South Africa's Jacques Kallis along the way. On another landmark day, the 34-year-old Root then completed his 38th Test hundred to join Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara in fourth place in that line-up. Root then eclipsed former Australia captain Ponting's mark of 13,378 runs when he reached 120 to the audible delight of a packed crowd at Old Trafford who gave him a standing ovation. By the time he was eventually dismissed, Root's tally stood at 13,409 runs, with the ongoing match in Manchester his 157th Test. The retired Tendulkar remains way ahead on 15,921 runs but Ponting believes the fact Root has scored 25 centuries since turning 30 is proof his desire for runs remains undimmed. "Congratulations Joe Root," Ponting told Sky Sports. "A magnificent moment in history. Second on the table. Just the one more to go now. "About two-and-a-half-thousand runs behind, but the way his career's gone over the last four or five years there's absolutely no reason why (he cannot be number one)." 'Hunger and desire' Ponting also hailed Root's "mental capacity", with the 50-year-old adding: "He still has that hunger and desire to continue to find ways to improve and get better. Trust me, that doesn't get easier the older you get." Root's latest century powered England, 2-1 up in the five-match series with India, to 544-7 at stumps on the third day, a first-innings lead of 186. Ollie Pope, who made 71 and helped Root add 144 for the third wicket, was as adamant as Ponting about the former England captain's prospects of breaking Tendulkar's record. "He loves playing for England in Test cricket more than anything so I'm sure if his body allows... he'll obviously be driven to make it to number one," said Pope. England's vice-captain also expects Root to continue his fine form in both next week's series finale at the Oval and the subsequent Ashes campaign in Australia where, in a rare blemish on his record, the Yorkshireman has yet to make a Test century. "It's just a ridiculous number of hundreds (since turning 30) and I'm sure he's hungry to get many more, especially in the next six games," Pope added. Root's largely classical approach to batting has often been different from the all-out aggression synonymous with England in their 'Bazball' era under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. But Pope reckons the way England have performed in the India series is evidence they can vary their game when required. "I think had we not played with our brains as well then we might not be 2-1 up in the series at the minute," he said.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Hamilton suffers unprecedented spinning knockout in Belgian GP sprint qualifying
But the gloomy seven-time world champion was cleared of blame by veteran commentator and former F1 driver Martin Brundle, who said the rear axle of Hamilton's Ferrari "broke up under braking". Brundle said it was "highly unusual", adding: "I don't think there's anyone more surprised at that than Lewis Hamilton. "It looks like a technical issue. Nobody will be more surprised than Lewis. It's almost like the engine sort of stalled out and every time he pulled another shift, it's just locked the rear axle." Hamilton ended up qualifying 18th on the 20-car grid just 24 hours after his highly-charged comments about winning a championship at Ferrari and not suffering the plight of fellow former multiple champions Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. He struggled throughout the day at the sprawling and majestic Spa-Francorchamps circuit -- one of his favourites -- and ran wide at Stavelot early in SQ1 before his spin at the chicane. Hamilton said he had never experienced that kind of spin before. Facing reporters later, he was asked what had gone wrong and responded: "I spun." He added that it was "the first time, I think, in my career" that he had spun in that way. "There's not really a lot to say," he added. "Obviously, I'm massively frustrated. "A lot of work has gone in and to be there is not really great. So hopefully tomorrow will be better." © 2025 AFP
France 24
3 hours ago
- France 24
Root climbs to second on all-time Test list as England dominate India
Ben Stokes' team, 2-1 up in the five-match series, were 544-7 at stumps on the third day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, 186 runs ahead of the toiling tourists on first innings. Root made an imperious score of exactly 150, with only retired India great Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 Test runs) now having made more than the 34-year-old Englishman's tally of 13,409. Earlier, Ollie Pope (71) put on 144 for the third wicket with Root before he was dismissed by Washington Sundar, who also removed Harry Brook cheaply to give India renewed hope. But skipper Stokes, who ended the day 77 not out after briefly retiring hurt with cramp, ensured England regained the initiative. And it was Stokes who celebrated at the other end as Root, his predecessor as England captain, reached 13,379 runs with a single to move one ahead of Australian Ricky Ponting's figure. "Magnificent from Root, this is a great moment in history," former Australia captain Ponting said on Sky Sports as the Manchester crowd stood to applaud and chant the Yorkshireman's name. "The way his career his gone, there is absolutely no reason why he will not go past Tendulkar." Root's 38th Test century also drew him level with Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara in fourth place on the list of most hundreds in a Test career. "It has been a privilege to watch him knock off those milestones," former England skipper Michael Atherton said on Sky. "It has also been a privilege to see his career unfold." Root's 'awesome hunger' Root did not attend the post-play press conference as he was receiving treatment for cramp. Instead England vice-captain Pope, asked what he admired most about his fellow top-order batsman, replied: "Just his hunger and his drive, you look at all the batters here and everyone's picked up something from Joe." The 27-year-old added: "His hunger for it is awesome. He's an annoyingly good bloke, the way he is with the fans and as a role model for the next generation is awesome. "There's a lot to learn from him." India's attack had few answers to Root's latest century, with bowling coach Morne Morkel -- the former South Africa quick -- saying: "There's not a lot of weaknesses in his game. That's why he's scored 13,000 plus runs." England earlier resumed on 225-2 following a blistering opening partnership of 166 in 32 overs between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett on day two, with Pope 20 not out and Root on 11. On 21, the former England skipper walked a long away across his stumps only to miss an intended glance off Mohammed Siraj. India reviewed for lbw after Ahsan Raza ruled in Root's favour but replays upheld the Pakistani umpire's decision, indicating the ball would have missed leg stump. There was another scare when Root, on 22, was nearly run out but Ravindra Jadeja's shy at the stumps missed. Root, who started the day fifth in Test cricket's list of leading run-scorers, then leapfrogged India's Rahul Dravid and South Africa's Jacques Kallis into third place. Spin, however, eventually paid dividends for India where pace had failed, with both Jasprit Bumrah and Siraj appearing to tire in the absence of the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy. Pope had added just one run to his lunchtime score of 70 when, beaten by the drift from off-spinner Sundar, he edged a flicked front-foot drive to KL Rahul at slip. England were soon 349-4 when Brook, on three, was stumped off Sundar by Dhruv Jurel, deputising for injured India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Stokes, however, prevented further collapse with his first fifty of the series and the left-handed batsman was in fine touch until succumbing to cramp in his left leg. Root reached his century in 178 balls with a glanced four off ineffective debutant paceman Anshul Kamboj. He serenely continued to 150 before he was beaten by a turning delivery from left-arm spinner Jadeja that bounced steeply, with Jurel completing a sharp stumping. And when Chris Woakes was bowled by a Siraj ball that kept low -- a worrying sign for India's batsmen -- England were still well-placed at 528-7. That was the cue for all-rounder Stokes, arguably England's best bowler this series, to resume his innings and he carried on from where he left off with a well-timed cover-drive off Bumrah.
