Real Madrid’s Xabi Alonso continued their unbeaten run in La Liga this weekend, defeating Mallorca 2-1 at home. Trent Alexander-Arnold made his comeback to the starting lineup with the win, and the Santiago Bernabeu crowd praised the Englishman’s performance.
After a time at his hometown club, Liverpool, the defender relocated overseas this summer in search of a fresh challenge. The La Liga juggernauts first signed him for free, but then paid €10 million to ensure his participation in the Club World Cup.
Although he struggled to get started after his high-profile summer move, the Liverpool-born star’s competitive debut for the club came against Osasuna in their Spanish top-flight opener – but his performance against Mallorca has got the Los Blancos fanbase talking.
Spanish media reacts to Alexander-Arnold’s display against Mallorca.
Dani Carvajal, widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world alongside Alexander-Arnold, was hurt in the 78th minute of Los Blancos’ 3-0 triumph over Real Oviedo last weekend, prompting the England international to be called upon a week later.
The 26-year-old started on the right side of a back four that included Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, and Alvaro Carreras, but did he deliver?
Alexander-Arnold’s passing was excellent, as evidenced by his highlights reel below; 40 of his 47 attempted passes (85%) were accurate to a teammate, nine of which entered the final third, and his punchy passes frequently put Mallorca under pressure.
Football Espana’s match ratings piece insisted that the old Alexander-Arnold was on display. They gave him a 7/10, writing, “Drafted back in to replace Dani Carvajal and looked like his old self early on.” An early assist was ruled out because Kylian Mbappe was flagged offside by VAR, but overall, a great performance.”
Marca, a Spanish newspaper, also waxed romantic about Alexander-Arnold’s 72-minute performance in the Spanish capital. “The English full-back’s form has improved significantly. More relaxed, less shy, and more adventurous. “More of everything,” they wrote, adding
“The coming weeks must do their work, but it is also vital to understand that Carvajal will be under immense strain. The Spanish full-back’s comeback is great news for Xabi. As is the realization that Carvajal will bring the best out of the Englishman. Because, in contrast, the number two didn’t need anyone to step in to give his all match after match.”
Fans of the Spanish club, on the other hand, are satisfied with his performance following a difficult start to the season. “Trent Alexander-Arnold is perhaps the best long-range passer in football. “He is exceptional.”
“The coming weeks must do their work, but it is also vital to understand that Carvajal will be under immense strain. The Spanish full-back’s comeback is great news for Xabi. As is the realization that Carvajal will bring the best out of the Englishman. Because, in contrast, the number two didn’t need anyone to step in to give his all match after match.”
Fans of the Spanish club, on the other hand, are satisfied with his performance following a difficult start to the season. “Trent Alexander-Arnold is perhaps the best long-range passer in football. “He is exceptional.”
Despite being generally pleased with his performance against Mallorca, many fans believe Alonso is not capitalizing on his right-back’s strongest suit, passing. One said that Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. could thrive as a result.
“Xabi, like previous managers, is locked in a system that does not take advantage of Trent’s strengths. With Vinicius, Mbappe, and Madrid’s speed, Trent could feed them balls all day.
Striking a similar tone, another Santiago Bernabeu fan said: “Trent is the best passer this generation and generations before have ever seen, I remember teams were so afraid of his passing that he had 2 to 3 players marking him,” while a fourth fan said: “We are still not utilising him to his strength – his passing. He needs runners ahead of him.”
xz
