by If Real Madrid is to achieve a success of the Xabi Alonso -era, you must take on the search of your former midfielder for structure. In return, however, Alonso will escape from the encouraging 3-0 victory of his new team against Red Bull Salzburg in Philadelphia and know that it will be easier to keep everyone up to date when he continues to find ways to let Jew Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior have their share in the spotlight.
There are times when the Club World Championship would work just as well if it just toured Madrid in the USA, appeared for stadium appearances and would not play actual football. Many people just want to see the stars. There were screams when Bellingham strolled a little more than an hour before the start of this game and gave a royal wave of a partisan amount. It was a memory that Carlo Ancelotti remained part of the show for so long, only by remembering that his main function was to leave others in the center.
Advertising
Related: Erling Haaland reaches the 300th goal in Manchester City, Rout of Juventus at the World Cup Club
But maybe Madrid can have the best of both worlds. If there is a tension about whether you are ready for the system -based approach of Alonso, it is also true that more order has been needed last season. That is part of the challenge for Alonso. He mixed things against Salzburg with a 3-5-2 formation and observed how Madrid still produced her most coherent performance among him to ensure that they appeared as the winner of Group H, and avoided a date with Manchester City in the past 16 years.
Juventus gets up next and will worry after he has risen Madrid’s level against Salzburg, who crashed against Pachuca due to the victory of Al-Hilal. Alonso will be satisfied how the system worked, but he will also consider the role of Bellingham and Vinícius, who score a goal and a beautiful assistant. Bellingham, who played in a more recessed role, was excellent and still found opportunities to roam through. He made the opener for Vinícius and played with a mixture of discipline and imagination. Alonso now only has to find out how to bring Kylian Mbappé into the team.
Alonso talked about selflessness, more easily when everyone runs a little more. Kylian, do you take notes? It remains to be seen how Mbappé fits this type of play. France striker does not have to be seen in the United States, and a bad stomach that turns it out. Gonzalo García, a youth product, continued at the front and scored his second goal in three games.
Advertising
There was still enough star power to make sure that a 65,000 appeared on the financial field in Lincoln. A handful of people even wore Salzburg shirts. The Austrians have had a restless campaign, the Pep Lijnders experiments that do not work, the domestic dominance, but they had hope of making progress from their first two games after four points.
There was a shift in Madrid’s tactics. It was an interesting experiment for Alexander-Arnold who always had Mo Salah in Liverpool. He never had the run of the right flank for himself.
Alonso sees what works. Arda Guler and Fede Valverde appeared with Bellingham in midfield, who played on the right. Vinícius was very high. Madrid started well. Alexander-Arnold saw a large part of the ball and created the first chance, crossed his left foot, but Rudiger passed.
Madrid’s press was intense. A brilliant piece of game should have led to the opener after 20 minutes, and Bellingham saved Vinícius in, Christian Zawieschitzky. The pass was sharp. But there were also a few nervous moments, and Tchouameni had to react to stop Edmund Baidoo from a distance of eight meters.
Advertising
Salzburg was looking for a foot and threatened the counterattack. But Madrid had mainly played with balance and control in the first half. It was only one question to find the connections in the last third.
The problem was solved when Bellingham fell back and led a nice pass through the Salzburg midfield. Vinícius driven out from the left, gathered the property and rose. Two defenders blocked his way, but the Brazilian broke them both and chopped on his left foot before making a low shot of 20 meters 1-0.
Soon it was 2-0, a rebound that released Vinícius, who went through before he confused his markings again, this time with a baking skirt, so that Valverde from 12 yards emphasized a goal.
Salzburg reacted with two half-time substitutions. Adam Daghim came in front and soon tested Thibaut Courtois with a racing drive. Daghim then wasted another chance after a mistake by Bellingham.
Advertising
Madrid was not convincing at the beginning of the second half and escaped again when Maurits Kjaergaard competed in a reduction when Bellingham cleared a shot from the line. At the same time, Vinícius remained a box with tricks. Guler also provided a sensitive, intelligent performance in midfield. Alexander-Arnold became his role.
Salzburg continued. Alonso tried to lower things by introducing Luka Modric. Rodrygo, which is still connected to Arsenal, came up. Doubt as to whether the wing player still fits in further times.
Alonso looks at everyone. Bellingham finally came after a dynamic performance. Gonzalo García kept going and had his goal when he broke through before he broke off Zawieschitzky. Madrid improves after a slow start. They tend to become more dangerous if the tournaments make progress.
