Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal: Trent Alexander-Arnold makes debut in Club World Cup draw in Xabi Alonso's first game

Trent Alexander-Arnold's first appearance for Real Madrid ended in a 1-1 draw as Federico Valverde saw his 92nd-minute penalty saved by Al Hilal goalkeeper Bounou at the Club World Cup.

Bounou went the right way to keep out Valverde's effort after substitute Mohammed Al-Qahtani had been penalised following a VAR check for his arm coming into contact with Fran Garcia's face.

The save denied Xabi Alonso victory in his first game in charge, with Real Madrid having earlier taken the lead when academy product Gonzalo Garcia, starting in place of the unwell Kylian Mbappe, finished from Rodrygo's pass following a slick first-half counter.

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Al Hilal had been the better side up until then, creating a series of chances, mostly through left winger Salem Al-Dawsari, who caused problems for debutant Alexander-Arnold. They scored a deserved equaliser when former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves converted from the spot after Raul Asencio had fouled Marcos Leonardo.

Al-Dawsari fired just wide in first-half stoppage time for Al Hilal, led by their new boss Simone Inzaghi, whose team included Joao Cancelo and Kalidou Koulibaly, but Real Madrid improved after the break, spurning a double chance almost instantly when substitute Arda Guler hit the bar and Garcia headed too close to Bounou.

Real Madrid pushed for a breakthrough but could not find it, despite the efforts of Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr, and a late cameo from Luka Modric, who is leaving the club at the end of the tournament. Alonso also handed a debut to Dean Huijsen following his arrival from Bournemouth.

It seemed they might clinch all three points when their late penalty was awarded after the referee was sent to the pitch-side monitor, but Bounou was the hero for Al Hilal, who deserved their point.

How did Trent fare on his first appearance?

Wearing the No 12 shirt, Alexander-Arnold did not have the easiest first half as a Madrid player as he struggled to contain Al-Dawsari. He wasn't alone in finding it tough, in fairness. Madrid seemed surprised by Al Hilal's intensity. But most of their best moments came down his flank.

He had no involvement in their equalising goal but he was relieved to see an earlier strike by Renan Lodi ruled out for offside after he had lost possession in Real Madrid territory, allowing the Al Hilal left-back to run in behind him and beat Thibaut Courtois.

He didn't get much of a chance to show his on-ball qualities in the first half as Al Hilal had the better of it, but he had some bright moments after the break, releasing Vinicius Jr with a trademark cross-field pass to set up the double chance for Guler and Garcia.

Soon after that, he could be seen dribbling away from an Al Hilal player having tucked into a midfield position, helping Real Madrid push their opponent back before he made way for Lucas Vazquez in the 65th minute.

Although there were some defensive difficulties early on, Alexander-Arnold made more passes into the final third (12) and more crosses (five) than any other player in the game. He later reflected on the experience positively.

"It's an incredible day," he said on Channel 5. "It's something almost every player dreams of. Of course, there is some disappointment not to have won the game. The mentality you need to have as a Real Madrid player is to want and expect to win every game. But there were a lot of positives, especially in the second half."

Trent thankful for 'incredible' support

Asked about the support he and his team-mates received in Miami, Alexander-Arnold said: "Incredible. I felt the support from the moment I signed for the club. Sensational.

"The fanbase that is truly global all over the world. You feel it every single day. A huge thank you for that. We dominated the stands today, which was incredible. The support was truly amazing."

On the game itself, he added: "I think in the second half we kept the ball really well - that is what we lacked in the first half. In this heat, it is important to keep hold of the ball as best as you can.

"We were in and around their box a lot. It just wasn't meant to be. Nobody is to blame and we take the positives, and we have things we can work on. I am sure we will do that going into the next game."

Asked again how long he had been learning Spanish following his unveiling, he said: "A couple of months. It was something important that I had to do.

"It is important to show the intent that I want to embrace the culture and adapt as best as possible."

Who do Real Madrid play next?

Real Madrid play Mexican outfit Pachuca in their next Club World Cup group game on Sunday, kick-off 8pm (UK and Ireland time).

They round off their Group H campaign on against Red Bull Salzburg in the early hours of Friday, kick-off 2am (UK and Ireland time).

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