Valverde penalty miss costs Real Madrid against Al Hilal

Real Madrid were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal in Xabi Alonso’s first match in charge, as Federico Valverde missed a penalty in stoppage time.

Gonzalo Garcia scored on his debut but Real Madrid were held by Al Hilal in their Club World Cup opener. The Spaniard’s goal was quickly cancelled out by a Ruben Neves penalty.

The LaLiga giants looked set for a routine start in their bid to win the only major trophy missing from their cabinet. Gonzalo, one of several new faces in the XI, gave Madrid the lead in the 34th minute with a smart finish, after Courtois had kept them in it early with a second minute save.

Embed from Getty Images

But Al Hilal struck back just before half-time. Neves converted from the spot after a lapse in Madrid’s defence, bringing the Saudi club level at the break and shifting the momentum.

The second half saw Madrid dominate possession but struggle to find a breakthrough. Valverde, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo all had chances, but it was a late penalty that offered the clearest chance to seal the win. Awarded in the 90th minute, Valverde stepped up but missed, ensuring Al Hilal took a hard-fought point.

There were debuts for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen, while Fran Garcia was handed a rare start. Vinicius Jr and Bellingham showed flashes of their quality, but the sharpness Madrid needed in the final third never arrived.

Real Madrid return to action later this week, with their Club World Cup hopes now resting on a stronger performance in the next round. Xabi Alonso’s side have work to do.

Embed from Getty Images

Written by Pejuola Ransome