Modric (left) played his last match for Real Madrid - Photo: Reuters
And coach Xabi Alonso now faces the task of reviving a team that is on the decline. Nothing can excuse the defeat to PSG early this morning (Vietnam time) when Real Madrid was crushed 0-4 in the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
The 0-4 scoreline was not enough to reflect Real Madrid's disastrous performance. The Spanish royal team conceded 2 goals in just the first 9 minutes of the match due to individual mistakes by the central defender duo Asencio - Rudiger.
And by the 24th minute, the score was 0-3. Even Inter Miami didn't play that badly. PSG's decision not to destroy Real Madrid was simply to save energy for the final.
Rudiger and Asencio were two of Real Madrid's best players last season. With Alaba and Militao absent and Nacho leaving, Rudiger has become the man to carry the team's defense.
And he has maintained his top form for most of the season. Asencio is another revelation from the club's youth system. In his debut season, Asencio played 46 games. But that information only reflects one thing: Real Madrid are a giant on clay.
They have a very strong attack with a squad of strikers competing for the Ballon d'Or in every position. Even their midfielders are still more inclined to attack than defend with Bellingham, Valverde, Brahim Diaz, Arda Guler.
Four shocking defeats to Barca last season were a wake-up call for Real Madrid’s serious shortcomings. But they couldn’t fix the problem in just one month. In the first 10 days of the summer transfer window, Real Madrid brought in two more defenders, Huijsen and Alexander-Arnold. But in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final, Huijsen was suspended, and Arnold couldn’t play due to injury.
But Real Madrid can only blame themselves, because PSG also suffered heavy losses when both Pacho and Lucas Hernandez were suspended. Overall, the two teams were evenly matched. The biggest difference that coach Luis Enrique (PSG) pointed out after that match was "I had a 2-year project at PSG, while Xabi Alonso had only a few days".
It was a meaningful word of comfort and encouragement from Enrique to his colleague. A true gentlemanly moment from Enrique, despite his famous hatred of Real Madrid.
Real Madrid will soon welcome another new signing this summer. That is midfielder Franco Mastantuono from River Plate. But at 17 years old, the Argentine player is still only an option for the future.
He has not been able to fill the position that Toni Kroos commented: "Real Madrid is lacking an important factor. That is the type of midfielder like me". Even Luka Modric will say goodbye to the team from next season. Real Madrid's midfield now no longer has anyone capable of keeping the rhythm and controlling the ball like when they still had Kroos and Modric.
However, Real Madrid's summer is not over yet. There is still more than a month until the transfer window closes. The restructuring is just beginning. Real Madrid are even having a headache "cleaning up" their attacking stars, with Rodrygo and Endrick increasingly dissatisfied after being ignored by coach Xabi Alonso at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Thanks to the persistence of Modric, Kroos, Carvajal and before that Nacho, Benzema, Real Madrid ignored the fact that their "galaxy" was getting old and seriously flawed. The defeat against PSG was the last milestone to remind Real Madrid, before they sank deeper into crisis.
Coach Xabi Alonso's reign has only just begun, with a lot of work to be done.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhieu-van-de-cho-doi-xabi-alonso-20250711000520755.htm
Comment (0)