The Club World Cup saw Trent Alexander-Arnold appear for Spanish giants following a £10million move from Liverpool but the England defender was subbed after 64 minutes during a drab 1-1 draw against Saudi team Al-Hilal
23:07, 18 Jun 2025
Real Madrid's English defender #12 Trent Alexander-Arnold
It wasn't the dream start Trent was hoping for(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold's debut with Real Madrid was rather unremarkable tonight (June 18).
The new Los Blancos recruit didn't particularly stand out in a sluggish display from the Spanish titans during Xabi Alonso's managerial debut. They were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Saudi team Al-Hilal at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium in their Club World Cup curtain-raiser.
This followed Federico Valverde's late penalty being saved by Yassine Bounou, denying Real a victorious kick-off in America. Alexander-Arnold, 26, made an early move to the La Liga side after they forked out £10m to Liverpool so he could participate in this tournament.
Real Madrid's English defender #12 Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold's interception did spark the move that eventually led to Real's goal at least(Image: FIFA via Getty Images)
He made his first appearance alongside Dean Huijsen, a recent signing from Bournemouth, reports the Mirror.
Expectations are high for better performances from the England international once he finds his feet with Real, following a quiet 64-minute stint as right-back before Lucas Vazquez took over.
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It was Alexander-Arnold's interception that sparked the sequence leading to Real's initial goal. The play culminated with Gonzalo Garcia scoring with an unconventional finish in the 34th minute.
However, their lead was short-lived, lasting only seven minutes before ex-Wolves player Ruben Neves levelled the score for Simone Inzaghi's squad before half-time.
Earlier in the half, Alexander-Arnold had been caught off guard by a move finished by Renan Lodi for Al-Hilal, but it was ruled offside.
Neves also delivered the corner and Hassan Al Tambakti outjumped Alexander-Arnold for the header but failed to hit the mark.
Alexander-Arnold was keen to launch his signature long balls from the right-back spot, aiming to set Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo free on the left.
The ex-Liverpool full-back attempted to boost Real's attack on the right before he was subbed off, but Alonso's team failed to hit their stride.
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Real still had a shot at victory towards the end when they were awarded a contentious penalty following a VAR check.
Mohammed Al Qahtani was deemed to have obstructed Fran Garcia with a hand to the face, but Valverde's penalty attempt was below par.
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