[Real Madrid](https://www.managingmadrid.com) manager spoke to the media briefly after their 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal in the opening match of the Club World Cup on Wednesday. He was asked about whether he was frustrated by how things were not working for them, to which he said: “No, I know there are still things to improve. That’s the same as there are. I saw a reaction in the second half. Everything takes time. It’s only been three training sessions. The demand for a result is there, but what we want to be takes time.”
### Alonso on the draw
“A mixed bag. The result is a shame; we were much better in the second half. I didn’t enjoy the first half too much; it will help us see what we can improve. In the second half, we were better balanced, we had better possession, we pushed them deeper, and we were missing a goal. I’ll take that with me, and we’ll build on that.”
### Alonso on what went wrong
“I wanted us not to accelerate too quickly; we were going very fast in the first half. They have good footwork, and we struggled to recover. We became better with the ball. We used players on the outside to sink them. It wasn’t enough to win; we’re left with a bitter taste...”
### Alonso on the debutants
“Well, Dean was great, and Trent was improving, like everyone else. Happy for them.”
### Alonso on what he liked most
“Probably the reaction in the second half. I didn’t like the first half too much. We didn’t play very well, we didn’t have good ball circulation, we were very wide, and we didn’t know how to adjust when we lost the ball. We’ll have to look at that to react. We reacted in the second half; we had much better balance on the ball. We got close to the box and were able to drown them out a bit more. We still needed to be a little more precise in those final meters. Regardless of the result, we have to keep seeing positives.”
### Alonso on what he said to the players at half-time
“We should have more composure with the ball. At first, we tried to play too quickly and lost the ball without passing, and then the game opened up. In the second half, we were much more balanced, we brought more quality to our play, we were better, but we lacked finishing.”
### Alonso on the heat
“Good ball control, attacking the corridors, playing higher when we lost... that’s what we were able to do. It’s no excuse, but it was hot. Asencio was on antibiotics, so we had to substitute him. Vinicius had cramps... I think we finished with a little more power than Al-Hilal, I’ll stick with that.”
### Alonso on the next game
“Almost all the coaches in this group are new; it’s the same with Pachuca, as it is with me. Lozano wasn’t in the previous match against Madrid; they’re good, so it’s going to be tough too.”
### Alonso on Kylian Mbappe’s availability
“We have to see how he develops. He’s been in a bad way the last two days... We have to see how he is.”