Álvaro Benito, sports analyst: "Not much from Madrid. Xabi Alonso has had few days. As expected."

A bittersweet debut for Xabi Alonso's new Real Madrid in Miami : a 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal left more questions than answers in the Tolosa-born coach's World Cup debut.

Former Real Madrid player and SER commentator Álvaro Benito was blunt in describing the Whites' performance as "meaningless," emphasizing that three or four sessions are not enough to establish a recognizable model.

Amidst the collective greyness emerged Dean Huijsen, the centre-back for whom the club paid 58 million and who captivated the analyst with his filtered passes and his privileged vision .

Fuel was tight after the break: Benito detected a sluggish team, lacking spark and still far from the competitive pace required by a short tournament like this Club World Cup.

The former youth player also pointed out that Xabi, in just twenty minutes, discovered Madrid's Achilles heel : their inability to press high and defend forward with conviction.

The conversation inevitably turned to the transfer market: for Benito, the dressing room needs "a creative number 8," someone to take over from Kroos or Modrić; right now, the midfield lacks a brain who can link possession with shooting.

Xabi's slate is still in draft form: the 5-3-2 seems unviable in the short term and everything points to a 4-3-3 that would enhance Rodrygo or the newcomer Mastantuono, while Güler is a candidate to become a protagonist inside if he improves his defensive sacrifice.