At MetLife Stadium, Real Madrid`s characteristic glitz and glamour were on full display during their Club World Cup match against Borussia Dortmund. A large crowd witnessed Madrid initially secure a 2-0 victory, booking their place in the semi-finals. However, the match`s conclusion descended into chaos; a final score of 3-2 after stoppage time, including a red card for Dean Huijsen, added significant drama. This late-game turmoil didn`t just make the win challenging; it introduced a new set of lineup complications for manager Xabi Alonso, who was already facing selection questions even before the late drama unfolded.
Prior to stoppage time, 21-year-old Gonzalo Garcia appeared to be the standout performer for Real Madrid, scoring the opening goal after just 10 minutes, which marked his fourth goal in the Club World Cup. He wasn`t the only young player to make an impact; 20-year-old Arda Guler provided the assist for Garcia`s goal, and new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold registered an assist of his own ten minutes later for Fran Garcia`s strike. The initial goal particularly showcased Real Madrid`s next generation of forwards, featuring Guler`s precise long pass and Gonzalo Garcia`s impressive finish in front of goal.
More than 80 minutes after Garcia found the net, Kylian Mbappe equaled his goal tally for the day with a decisive winner. His spectacular flying kick served as a reminder of the exceptional quality that made him an obvious signing for Madrid last year. This goal, however, also revived Real Madrid`s persistent question from the past year regarding Kylian Mbappe`s exact role and fit within the squad.
While Garcia`s start might have been influenced by Mbappe`s absence due to gastroenteritis, with Real Madrid on the verge of securing their first trophy since the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League, it seems improbable that new manager Xabi Alonso will remove the 21-year-old from the starting eleven. Alonso`s version of Real Madrid, which he hopes will emulate the high-intensity approach of his Bayer Leverkusen team, still exhibits some rough edges. There are also lingering signs indicating the team`s need to evolve after Carlo Ancelotti`s four years, which were successful but sometimes lacked consistency. Achieving tactical balance became notably more challenging after Mbappe joined. This difficulty isn`t a reflection of Mbappe`s talent – his 43 goals in a Madrid shirt clearly demonstrate his quality – but with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo also key attacking options for Los Blancos, Ancelotti struggled to find a system that optimally accommodated all three players.
Consequently, many believed Alonso`s primary task as Real Madrid`s new manager would be to determine Kylian Mbappe`s ideal position and role within the team. The Club World Cup provided an early opportunity to address this. Both Alonso and Mbappe faced misfortune with the player`s gastroenteritis diagnosis, which forced him to miss the group stage and even rendered his availability for a starting spot on Saturday uncertain, described by Alonso as a gameday decision. His short 23-minute appearance at MetLife Stadium, following a similar brief outing in Tuesday`s Round of 16 win against Juventus, suggests Alonso might face a direct choice between starting Garcia or Mbappe for Wednesday`s semi-final match against Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe`s former club.
Alonso hasn`t entirely dismissed the possibility of Garcia, Mbappe, and Vinicius playing together simultaneously, but figuring out how exactly to integrate these three presents a fresh challenge for Madrid`s latest manager. This complexity is even before considering that Rodrygo`s potential departure might, in theory, ease Alonso`s selection burden. Garcia`s strong performance could be viewed as a “champagne problem” – a positive dilemma, characteristic of an elite club like Real Madrid. Nevertheless, even a good problem requires a solution. Securing victories, as Madrid did on Saturday, offers a strong path forward. Ultimately, though, Kylian Mbappe`s role in these wins may significantly influence Xabi Alonso`s legacy at Real Madrid, despite being only in the initial phase of his tenure.
