The Spanish media have cast their verdict on Trent Alexander-Arnold after he made his Real Madrid debut during Los Blancos' opening game of the FIFA Club World Cup against Al Hilal on Wednesday evening. The right-back, considered the best in his position, finally put on the famous white and gold shirt after having won everything with former employers Liverpool.
In what was also Xabi Alonso's first game in charge since joining from Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid could only muster a point against their Saudi Arabian opposition, with youngster Gonzalo Garcia scoring just past the half-hour mark before Ruben Neves levelled the score before halftime from the penalty spot.
Plenty of eyes, however, would have been fixated on Trent's performance, with Liverpool fans perhaps somewhat nervously wondering whether he's going to be part of a successful new era at the Bernabeu or whether his supposed defence weaknesses will bring him crashing back down to earth after the Madrid hierarchy paid £10 million to acquire him earlier than his contract expiry.
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It was a bad first day at the office for the Englishman
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Even before his debut, some Spanish media outlets were skeptical of Trent's arrival. AS claimed he would be "subjected to a challenge that will test his true worth" and called the signing a "risky" decision. Although they acknowledged that he arrived in Spain in his "physical prime," many of their reservations seemed justified at the Hard Rock Stadium.
In his 65-minute cameo, he made two clearances, blocked a shot, and recorded one interception. However, having won just one of his four ground duels, lost possession 12 times, and completed only one of five cross attempts, he drew criticism from the impatient Spanish press. Watch his full match highlights below:
At various flashpoints of his debut, Trent looked like he was in a daze, and the journalists tasked with analysing his performance weren’t very forgiving. He received a match rating of just 5/10 from Football Espana, who wrote:
"There has been much talk about Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of his debut, but it was an underwhelming one. He was not at his best defensively, and he struggled to make an impact in attack before being substituted."
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Reacting to Alexander-Arnold's first-half performance, Marca wrote: "Trying to get more into the game. He went too far in a switch to find Vinicius. He was weak in a duel, and the move ended with Al Hilal scoring offside." In their live blog covering the match, Marca also highlighted a defensive error made shortly after the hour mark, adding: "I don't know how you saw it on TV, but Trent getting out of the way during the Al Hilal counterattack ... it left me speechless."
Elsewhere, their front page read: “Huijsen shone much more than Trent.” SPORT added: "Little newcomer so far. Trent Alexander-Arnold, too hastily, commits fouls down the right." It’s not exactly the start the 26-year-old would have hoped for as he embarks on a new life in sunny Spain, but upcoming group stage games against Pachuca and RB Salzburg will give him two more opportunities to get to grips with life after Liverpool.
All statistics courtesy of SofaScore and accurate as of 18/06/2025
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