Real Madrid crashed out of the FIFA Club World Cup on Wednesday afternoon as they were thumped by Paris Saint-Germain in their semi-final clash.
Los Blancos have been impressive on their run to the semi-final and needed to be at their very best to beat this year's Champions League winners. They were unable to overcome the French giants, though, as they fell to a heavy defeat.
PSG raced out of the blocks and led 3-0 after 24 minutes as Fabian Ruiz (2) and Ousmane Dembele gave them the perfect start. Goncalo Ramos' strike with three minutes remaining put gloss on the result and ensured Luis Enrique's side ran out comfortable 4-0 victors.
Xabi Alonso Admits Lineup Mistake After Real Madrid 0-4 PSG
He gave an honest assessment of his side's defeat
Real Madrid
Xabi Alonso made the bold decision to start three attackers against the Champions League winners as Kylian Mbappe was named in the starting lineup for the first time this tournament alongside Vinicius Jr and Gonzalo García.
There was a real chance that it could backfire and that's exactly what happened as PSG took full advantage. Speaking after the game, Alonso conceded that his decision to start with three attackers was a mistake. He said, per Tribuna:
"Did I make a mistake by starting 3 attackers tonight? Yes, without a doubt. I don't regret my lineup, I never regret the decisions I have to make. You have to accept them."
Alonso went on to state how his side weren't good enough but decided to look at the positives. He added, per Sports Illustrated:
"Today, we have suffered against a team that's at a good level and we're just starting this new stage. There is a lot of margin. Today it hurts and our level wasn't good enough. This match will show us things for the future to compete at a better level than today. This is as far as we've come. We fell at the penultimate hurdle and it hurts.
Xabi Alonso
"Going 2-0 down early on is a conditioning factor. We wanted to play an intense game and after that you face it in a different way. More than the distance between the two teams is the margin we have to improve. It's the end of this season and not the start of the next. We’ll take the positives from this Club World Cup period.
"We're leaving as a better team. It's a starting point for a better start next season. I'm talking about the team and not the players. Today, we had some shortcomings and sometimes it's good to see the mistakes so that they can be useful for the future. If we repeat the same mistake over and over again, we won't be intelligent."
He continued: "I'm leaving with certainties. This tournament has taught me many things about what we are and what we have to improve. I'm leaving with a perspective for next year, when we will recover players and there will be changes. Next season will be different, but I'll leave with clear certainties. I take all the information that this tournament has given me. We want to build a team that plays as a unit and where everyone is involved."
Real Madrid now have a month off before starting their 2025/26 campaign at home against Osasuna on Tuesday August 19.
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