Real coach Alonso praises Jude Bellingham: ‘Has a lot of quality'
PA Media/dpa
London
Xabi Alonso says he 'loves' what England midfielder Jude Bellingham gives to Real Madrid.
Bellingham scored his first goal of the Alonso era on Sunday as Real Madrid made light of Raul Asencio's early red card to beat Mexican side Pachuca 3-1 at the Club World Cup.
Los Blancos will complete their group programme against RB Salzburg in Philadelphia knowing victory will take them into the round of 16 as Group H winners.
Both teams are level on four points after two games, with Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal on two.
'Obviously, he is going to continue being a key player for us,' Real manager Alonso said of Bellingham at his pre-match press conference.
'I love what he does in the centre of the field and how he participates in all the plays.
'He has a lot of quality, we saw it against Pachuca, and we are always close to him.
'Jude has a lot of ambition, he wants to improve and continue growing, and we want to continue seeing how he grows.' Kylian Mbappe has been left out of the Real squad, despite returning to training on Wednesday following illness.
The France forward has yet to feature in the tournament.
Alonso said: 'I was happy to see him on the field, but it was the first day he put on his boots and it's not good.
'We have talked about it ourselves after training and he prefers to be recovering and preparing for the round of 16.' Ferland Mendy and Eduardo Camavinga also remain out as Real renew rivalries with Austrian opponents they thrashed 5-1 in the Champions League in January.
Alonso said: 'We have two objectives to win and finish first in the group.
'In the last match we had good feelings, despite having one less player, both with and without the ball.
'Hopefully the same can happen with Salzburg, who are a dynamic and intense opponent.
'I don't think it's a good idea to think that I'm not going to win the match, that's not a message for anyone.
'We don't want to propose something that is not clear and objective other than winning.
'Obviously, I have seen the table, but, obviously, we are going to win.
'For us, it (Club World Cup) is the most important title at this time. It is going to be demanding without a doubt, but we want to try.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
2 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Fernandez ‘will be even better' next season insists Chelsea boss Maresca
PA Media/dpa London Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca expects Enzo Fernandez to get even better as he prepares for a reunion with his former club Benfica. The Argentina midfielder, signed from the Portuguese giants for a then British record £106.8million two years ago, took time to find his feet at Stamford Bridge. But he excelled in the second half of the 2024-25 season, finishing the campaign with eight goals, and has continued to shine at the Club World Cup. The 24-year-old scored in the opening win over Los Angeles FC and created two goals in as many minutes as the Blues beat Esperance Tunis 3-0 in their final group game on Tuesday. Their reward is a last-16 clash with Benfica in Charlotte on Saturday. Maresca told reporters at his pre-match press conference: 'I'm very pleased with Enzo, especially because, first of all, he's a nice boy. He's polite, he's a good boy. 'Then he's worked very well in all aspects inside the pitch, outside the pitch. Our struggle at the beginning was (for him) to understand the way we want to play. 'But he is doing fantastic in terms of numbers, goal assists. This is what we want from our attacking players. 'I've said many times that I prefer to have the attacking players score 10-12 goal each, rather than just a striker with 40 goals. 'So his contribution this season has been top and I am sure next season will be even better.' Despite that, Fernandez could face competition for his place after Maresca suggested he sees Brazilian Andrey Santos more as an attacking player than a defensive one. The highly-rated 21-year-old has rejoined the club this summer after a successful loan spell at Strasbourg and made his debut as a second-half substitute against Esperance. Maresca said: 'His season has been very good but I think you need time to adapt. 'In terms of position, I see Andrey in this moment in more like Enzo's position than Romeo's (Lavia) position. 'The Premier League demands (players) to be physically strong. In this moment, I see Andrey more of an attacking player than defensive in the field.' Maresca added that he hopes 19-year-old defender Josh Acheampong will stay with the club despite being linked with Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund. He said: 'My idea or my plan with Josh is quite clear. I think he potentially can be a top defender for this club. I feel the best plan for Josh is to be with us.' Maresca would also like England international Trevoh Chalobah to stay, but offered no guarantees. He said: 'All the players that are here with us, I don't want to lose them but when the transfer window is open, unfortunately, anything can happen - not only for Trevoh, for (all) the 25 players of the squad.' Maresca expects a tight contest against Benfica. He said: 'It's going to be a balanced game, a tough game. In this kind of game the small details are very important.'
Qatar Tribune
2 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
The real competition starts now: Enrique prepared for KO phase
PA Media/dpa London Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique feels the real tests at the Club World Cup will now kick in as the European champions prepare to face Lionel Messi's Inter Miami for a place in the quarter-finals. After opening the tournament with a 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid, Enrique's side slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat against Botafogo. PSG, though, made sure there would be no early flight back to France with a 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders to go through as Group B winners on goal difference. Inter Miami had also looked set to top their group - and go into the other half of the draw - before Palmeiras fought back with two late goals to draw 2-2 at Hard Rock Stadium, handing Messi a reunion with his former club. Enrique knows there are now no more second chances if PSG want to make an impact in the knockout stage. 'We plan to go as far as possible and I believe the players are ready,' Enrique said after the win over Seattle. 'The real competition starts now and it will be very tough. After each match, we have to see if we qualify or not, so we are motivated.' PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma maintains the players are fully focused on adding another trophy to their season haul. 'I hope we keep winning more matches and that we will reach the final together, all united,' the Italian said. 'It is very important for us and the club to go all the way.' Messi left Paris in the summer of 2023 to start a fresh challenge in Major League Soccer. While the Argentina World Cup winner, who turned 38 earlier this week, has little left to prove, Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano hopes Messi might just have a bit of extra motivation when he faces his former employers in Atlanta on Sunday. 'It is clear that for us it is better if he plays angry, because he is one of those players who, when he has something on his mind, gives an extra effort,' Mascherano told ESPN SportsCenter. 'But I think that is already in the past. It is a different story now and since the game is here in the United States, I don't think the atmosphere will be the same. 'What we will try to do is play a great game because to have any chance we need to have a perfect match. One mistake and PSG will punish us, but we will go for it.'
Qatar Tribune
2 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Muller wants ‘something new' after he leaves Bayern
dpa Berlin Thomas Muller wants to feel a sense of adventure when choosing his new football club once his time at Bayern Munich comes to an end following the Club World Cup in the United States. 'I would like to discover something new, which is why more distant or exotic countries have an advantage over the (German) domestic league,' Muller told streaming service DAZN in an interview. 'But maybe I will actually stop. Anything is still possible and I'm not stressing about it,' he said. The 2014 World Cup winner will leave his boyhood club after 25 years of service as his contract expires this summer and he wasn't given a new deal. The Club World Cup last 16 match against Flamengo on Sunday could be his final match in a Bayern jersey. It's still unclear what Muller will do in the future and the midfielder hasn't given many hints. MLS club FC Cincinnati have said that they made an offer to have him in their squad. Asked about a move to Inter Miami to play with Lionel Messi in the MLS, Muller said: 'In principle, I wouldn't object to playing with Messi, but I don't have any direct contact with Miami at the moment.' Media reports also suggest that Müller could take a job as a TV pundit for the 2026 World Cup.
