Xabi Alonso opened up about Trent Alexander-Arnold’s weakness after their debut for Real Madrid, where Alonso managed the Spanish giants for the first time since his arrival.
Both Alonso and Trent made their debuts on Wednesday during Real Madrid’s first FIFA Club World Cup game against Al-Hilal. The game ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw.
Trent Alexander-Arnold started the match at right-back and played 65 minutes in his first appearance for Los Blancos.
After the draw, Trent didn’t seem satisfied with the result. He said: “There’s some disappointment in not winning the game. That’s the mentality you have to have as a player. As a Real Madrid player, you have to want and expect to win—every game.”
He added: “We did very well. You can see how good we are as a squad. We could’ve won the game too, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
Xabi Alonso also gave his verdict after the match, saying: “I did not like the first half at all. This is a process, and things take some time—it’s absolutely normal.”
🗣 Xabi Alonso: "I didn't like the first half. We were better in the 2nd half, with more quality, more balance and faster." pic.twitter.com/XwjfAPXT0E
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) June 18, 2025
These statements clearly show that both former Reds weren’t fully happy with their Real Madrid debuts.
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What Xabi Alonso said about Trent’s weakness
The Spanish mastermind shared his thoughts on Trent’s performance and areas of improvement: “Trent’s a very talented player, but at this level, talent alone isn’t enough. He needs to work harder physically and be more consistent, especially defensively. He has to meet the standards set for fitness, discipline, and effort.”
Trent is widely known as one of the world’s best full-backs in terms of offensive ability. But even during his time at Anfield, questions were raised about his defensive duties.
His balance between attack and defence might still need improvement, something Alonso pointed out.
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