FOOTBALL – Real Madrid laboured to a 1-1 Club World Cup draw against a spirited Al Hilal in searing heat yesterday as Xabi Alonso’s managerial debut for the 15-time European champions delivered flashes of promise but ultimately felt like an exhibition match.
Gonzalo Garcia, stepping in for the fever-stricken Kylian Mbappe, gave Real an early lead with a composed finish, but Ruben Neves levelled from the spot before halftime as Simone Inzaghi’s men showed defensive grit and enough attacking intent to rattle their illustrious opponents.
A last-gasp missed penalty from Federico Valverde summed up a day when Real’s legs, and ideas, wilted in the heat and humidity at a nearly sold-out Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Real will next face Pachuca on Sunday, while Al Hilal will take on Salzburg in what could prove a decisive clash for qualification to the knockout stage.
With Mbappe ruled out, it was the 21-year-old Garcia who led the line for Real and he did not disappoint, while new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold was nowhere near the level that persuaded the Spanish club to lure him from Liverpool.
It was Al Hilal, however, who burst out of the blocks, swarming around the Real penalty area with early intent – though their finishing let them down at crucial moments.
In the 29th minute, Salem Al Dawsari nearly produced a moment of magic, weaving his way into the box before Aurelien Tchouameni slid in with a crucial interception to steer the ball behind.
The Saudi side thought they had taken the lead shortly after, only for their celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.
Despite the heat – and with the cheapest tickets in the stadium selling for over $160 while premium seats soared beyond $950 – a vibrant crowd kept the energy high.
A much-needed 30th-minute cooling break gave Real a chance to regroup, with players draping towels over their shoulders and gulping down rehydrating drinks in the sweltering heat. The short pause worked wonders.
Four minutes later, Real struck. A slick team move carved open the Al Hilal defence, and Garcia showed composure beyond his years, delicately lifting the ball over Yassine Bounou after being teed up by Rodrygo.
But Al Hilal refused to wilt. They drew level four minutes before halftime when Ruben Neves calmly slotted home a penalty after Raul Asencio pulled back Marcos Leonardo in the area.
On the stroke of halftime, Al Dawsari went close again, firing narrowly wide after latching onto a clever pass from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to cap another flowing Al Hilal attack.
Real stepped up a gear after the restart with substitute Arda Guler’s shot crashing against the bar before Bounou made a stunning reaction save to deny Garcia.
A second cooling break in the 68th minute did not refresh Real and although they continued to dominate, the Al Hilal defence held firm.
Real were awarded a penalty after a VAR review when Mohammed Al-Qahtani’s flailing arm caught Fran Garcia in the last minute, only for Valverde’s soft spot kick to be saved by Bounou.
Earlier, Manchester City began their campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in their Group G opener, courtesy of first-half goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku.
Manager Pep Guardiola opted to rest several key players, including Erling Haaland, Rodri, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones in what was a sweltering midday kickoff at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
Despite fielding a second-string side, City needed less than two minutes to break the deadlock.
Phil Foden pounced after Savinho’s cross was parried by Wydad goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid, with the England midfielder striking a first-time effort into the net to hand City an early lead.
City doubled their advantage three minutes before halftime when Foden delivered a pinpoint corner, and Jeremy Doku caught the Wydad defence napping to volley home at the far post.
City finished with 10 men after Rico Lewis was given a straight red card for a nasty studs-up sliding tackle on Samuel Obeng in the 88th minute.
Uefa Champions League finalists Inter Milan were held 1-1 by Mexican side Monterrey in their opening Group E game in Pasadena.
Inter dominated possession at the outset but underdogs Monterrey struck first, grabbing the lead when 39-year-old Sergio Ramos leaped above two defenders to power home a header from a corner in the 25th minute.
The Italians drew level three minutes before halftime when Kristjan Asllani’s floated free-kick into the box was played across the face of goal by Carlos Augusto to give Lautaro Martinez the easy tap-in.
Nelson Deossa had a golden opportunity to win it for Monterrey in stoppage time but his shot ended up in the side netting.