Real Madrid ready to start ‘new age’ after ‘painful’ PSG rout

Cliff Notes – Real Madrid ready to start ‘new age’ after ‘painful’ PSG rout

• Manager Xabi Alonso acknowledged the need to rebuild after a heavy 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semifinal.
• The tactical shift to a four-man defence proved ineffective, leading to early goals from PSG and exposing Real Madrid’s defensive vulnerabilities.
• Alonso expressed optimism for the future, indicating plans for new signings and a focus on team unity as they prepare for the upcoming season.

Real Madrid ready to start ‘new age’ after ‘painful’ PSG rout

Real Madrid will start next season from scratch, manager Xabi Alonso said on Wednesday, after his tactical shift backfired in a 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semifinal.

Missing suspended defender Dean Huijsen and injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alonso, who took the reins only weeks ago, reverted to a four-man defence from the back-five that had served them so well earlier in the tournament.

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The tactical switch saw tournament sensation Gonzalo García start alongside star forward Kylian Mbappé, who was finally back to full strength after missing much of the competition due to illness, but it failed to pay dividends.

Paris Saint-Germain quickly took advantage of Real’s defensive weakness, netting two goals in the first nine minutes, as the LaLiga side appeared utterly outclassed.

“We were two goals down and we couldn’t find our footing,” Alonso said. “It was a painful defeat, we must admit that we were not up to standard today.”

Xabi Alonso has much to think about before he starts his first full season as Real Madrid coach. Justin Setterfield – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Madrid made no meaningful changes at the break, with Alonso telling reporters he believed they had some scoring chances before he made a flurry of substitutions midway through the second half.

“We had some shortcomings at some points and sometimes it’s good to see our mistakes and you can draw lessons for the future,” he said.

Though the bitter taste of defeat would linger, Alonso assured fans that better things were to come next season and he did not rule out the possibility of further new signings.

“We start a new age after a break, with fresh minds,” he said. “We want to build a team that plays as a unit, with everyone playing together … we were one match away and it’s painful and let’s see what happens now.”