'Xabi Alonso is too young for Luis Enrique'

Former England defender Gary Neville believes the key to PSG's easy win over Real Madrid lies in the goalkeeper and defense positions.

PSG overwhelms Real Madrid In the early morning of July 10, PSG beat Real 4-0 to win a ticket to the FIFA Club World Cup final against Chelsea.

"Although both teams were missing key defenders through injury or suspension, PSG proved to be superior in the defensive battle, locking down Real Madrid's star-studded attack," Neville commented on The Overlap .

Both PSG and Real Madrid enter the semi-finals with major defensive injuries. PSG are without centre-back Willian Pacho and versatile defender Lucas Hernández (suspended after receiving a red card in the quarter-finals).

Coach Luis Enrique adjusted by using Lucas Beraldo to replace Pacho, while Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes continued to form the main trio in defence. This arrangement helped PSG maintain a solid defensive structure, with Marquinhos playing the role of leader and Mendes locking down the left wing.

On Real Madrid's side, coach Xabi Alonso could not solve the problem of missing centre-back Dean Huijsen (suspended) and right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold (injured). "Alonso replaced Huijsen and Alexander-Arnold with Asencio and Federico Valverde, but this change did not bring about any results," the British expert added.

"Real Madrid's defense, which was already unstable in the 2024/25 season, could not stand up to PSG's attacking power. Alonso showed his inexperience compared to Enrique," the former MU defender concluded.

Source: https://znews.vn/xabi-alonso-qua-non-so-voi-luis-enrique-post1567476.html