Real Madrid’s manager, Xabi Alonso, expressed his eagerness on Saturday to gauge how his new squad fares against European champions Paris Saint-Germain following the confirmation of their semi-final clash at the Club World Cup.
Real Madrid edged past Borussia Dortmund with a 3-2 victory at the MetLife Stadium, just hours after PSG triumphed over Bayern Munich with a 2-0 win in Atlanta.
The two football titans will meet at the MetLife Stadium on Wednesday for their semi-final encounter, and the victorious side will be considered the likely favourites to secure the trophy.
“We faced a strong team that progressed far in the Champions League, and now we confront the champions, so this represents another significant challenge for us in this new journey we are embarking on,” stated Alonso, who took over from Carlo Ancelotti as Real’s head coach shortly before the tournament began.
PSG, led by coach Luis Enrique, became the heirs to Madrid’s European glory after dismantling Inter Milan 5-0 in the Champions League final held in Munich last May.
“They’ve maintained an exceptional standard since the Champions League Round of 16, making this a considerable challenge for us.”
Real Madrid seemed set for a comfortable win against Dortmund after young striker Gonzalo Garcia and left-back Fran Garcia found the net within the first 20 minutes.
However, Maximilian Beier managed to score for Dortmund during stoppage time, igniting a late surge where Kylian Mbappe executed an overhead kick, followed by Serhou Guirassy converting a penalty for the Germans after Dean Huijsen received a red card.
“We can improve, but overall it was a focused performance, and we need to extract the positives from this,” remarked Alonso, who will miss centre-back Huijsen in the clash against PSG due to suspension.
“The match just concluded, so I’m not yet contemplating the semi-final. I’ll have a few hours of calm, but losing Huijsen isn’t ideal.”
Mbappe Aiming for a Starting Spot
Alonso may now face a different selection dilemma in attack, with Mbappe—who came on as a substitute on Saturday—pushing for a starting role against his former club as he recovers from an illness.
“He’s not at his best yet, still working towards full fitness, but he’s getting better each day,” Alonso stated after Mbappe scored his 44th goal for the club since transferring from PSG last year.
Meanwhile, Gonzalo Garcia has been impressive during the Club World Cup, with the 21-year-old striker netting four goals in five matches following a prolific season with Real’s B team, Castilla.
“Yesterday (Friday) I mentioned how Gonzalo was seizing his chance, and he proved it again today,” remarked Alonso.
“He’s got the instincts of a goal-scorer, enjoyed a terrific season with Castilla, scoring 25 goals, and he’s in the right place to flourish here.”
On the other hand, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac expressed satisfaction with his team’s efforts throughout the tournament, despite their exit, as they now look forward to some time off before gearing up for the next season of the Bundesliga.
“Congratulations to Real Madrid for their deserved victory. We were a bit sluggish, the conditions weren’t ideal, and while we improved in the second half, we still fell short,” he commented.
“Overall, my team showcased good performances throughout the tournament. It’s not a failure to exit after losing to Real Madrid,” he added.
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Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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