Real Madrid`s appearance at MetLife Stadium delivered the expected glitz and a large crowd. They secured their spot in the Club World Cup semifinals with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund. What seemed like a comfortable 2-0 lead late in the match devolved into chaos during stoppage time, featuring a Borussia Dortmund comeback attempt and a red card for Dean Huijsen. This frantic finish, while resulting in a win, complicated the existing lineup questions facing manager Xabi Alonso.
Prior to the chaotic finale, Real Madrid`s emerging talent stole the spotlight. 21-year-old Gonzalo Garcia opened the scoring just 10 minutes in, netting his fourth goal of the tournament. He wasn`t the only youngster making an impact; 20-year-old Arda Guler provided the assist for Garcia`s goal, and new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold set up Fran Garcia for the second 10 minutes later. These early goals offered a promising look at Real Madrid`s next attacking generation.
More than 80 minutes after Garcia`s opener, Kylian Mbappe netted the winning goal with a spectacular flying kick, a clear reminder of the quality that led Madrid to sign him. His decisive strike, however, immediately reignited the long-standing question surrounding where exactly the superstar Kylian Mbappe best fits into Real Madrid`s attack.
While Garcia initially covered for the ill Mbappe, his strong performances, particularly with Real Madrid nearing a trophy, make it difficult for Alonso to drop him. Alonso aims to instill a high-intensity style reminiscent of his Bayer Leverkusen side. The team still shows signs of needing evolution after four successful but sometimes inconsistent years under Carlo Ancelotti. Striking an attacking balance was particularly challenging with Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo all vying for spots, despite Mbappe`s impressive goal tally (43 so far).
For many, Alonso`s primary task upon taking over was figuring out how to best utilize Kylian Mbappe. The Club World Cup offered an early opportunity, though Mbappe`s gastroenteritis diagnosis was an unfortunate setback, limiting him to short appearances in the group stage and quarter-finals. His brief time on the field suggests that Alonso may face a difficult choice between starting Garcia or Mbappe in Wednesday`s semi-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe`s former club.
While Alonso hasn`t completely ruled out the possibility of fielding Garcia, Mbappe, and Vinicius together, finding a system where all three thrive presents a significant challenge for the new manager. The likely departure of Rodrygo could simplify matters slightly. Garcia`s excellent form is, in a sense, a “champagne problem” – a positive issue to have, yet still one requiring a solution. Ultimately, winning matches, as Real Madrid did on Saturday, provides the most effective answer. However, the degree to which Kylian Mbappe is integrated into these wins will likely become a defining narrative of Xabi Alonso`s early tenure at the club.
