Real Madrid News
Al-Hilal boss praises Real Madrid’s quality ahead of CWC showdown – ‘We will face possibly the best team in the world’
Al Hilal’s new head coach, Simone Inzaghi, is preparing for a huge challenge as he gets ready to face Real Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Speaking ahead of the match, the Italian manager was full of praise for the Spanish giants and their new boss, Xabi Alonso, but made it clear that his team will not back down.
Like Alonso, Inzaghi is also making his debut in the competition and with his new club. And although the timing is not ideal, with limited preparation and only a few transfer windows to work with, he insisted that Al Hilal are approaching the tournament with belief and ambition.
“We are going to face possibly the best team in the world, but we will play our game, using our strengths,” Inzaghi said during his press conference.
“We come in with confidence and a desire to have a strong Club World Cup. The club is working hard to build the best team possible, even though time has been short.”
Inzaghi praises Alonso’s style
One setback for Al Hilal is the confirmed absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serbian striker, who plays a vital role in the team’s attack, will miss the match against Real Madrid.
Inzaghi acknowledged this will be a big blow but remained focused on preparing the rest of the squad.
The Italian also took a moment to compliment Xabi Alonso, recognising his quick rise as a top coach.
“I know Xabi well. I followed his work at Bayer Leverkusen and was very impressed,” said Inzaghi. “He’s a coach who gets his message across clearly. I respect him a lot.”
While the odds may favour Real Madrid, Inzaghi’s words suggest Al Hilal won’t just show up, as they are coming to compete.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
