Federico Valverde missed a stoppage-time penalty as Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup on Wednesday.
In front of 62,415 fans at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, new Real manager Xabi Alonso saw his side settle for a point in his first game in charge. For Al-Hilal, led by debuting coach Simone Inzaghi, it was a spirited and tactically sharp performance that tested Madrid’s defence throughout.
The Saudi side began brightly, creating early chances through Salem Aldawsari and Marcos Leonardo, the latter narrowly missing the target. Renan Lodi had a goal ruled out for offside, while Aldawsari, a constant threat, fired another effort just wide.
Real Madrid gradually found their rhythm, and in the 34th minute, they took the lead. Gonzalo, deputising for the absent Kylian Mbappé, initiated a counter-attack and finished it with a neat touch after a precise cross from Rodrygo.
But Al-Hilal responded just before the break. Marcos Leonardo was brought down by Raul Asencio, and Ruben Neves coolly converted the penalty to level the score.
Real upped the pressure after halftime, with Arda Güler rattling the crossbar and Valverde and Gonzalo forcing good saves from Yassine Bounou. Despite Madrid’s dominance in spells, Al-Hilal continued to create danger on the break.
In the 87th minute, Madrid were awarded a penalty after Mohammed Al Qahtani was penalised for a foul on Fran Garcia. But Valverde’s low shot was expertly saved by Bounou, preserving a valuable point for the Saudi side.
“I’m very satisfied,” Inzaghi said post-match. “We played a strong, organised game against one of the best teams in the world. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Alonso, meanwhile, acknowledged Real’s sluggish start but praised their second-half improvement.
“In the first half, we lacked balance and gave the ball away too easily,” he said. “But I liked the reaction after halftime. We found better rhythm and control.”
Real Madrid next face Mamelodi Sundowns, while Al-Hilal will look to build on this momentum in their upcoming fixture.
