Real Madrid draw with Al Hilal as Bounou saves late penalty

Real Madrid laboured to a 1-1 draw against a spirited Al Hilal in the Club World Cup on Wednesday as Xabi Alonso's managerial debut for the 15-time European champions delivered only flashes of promise in searing Miami heat at a nearly sold-out Hard Rock Stadium.

A last-gasp penalty from Federico Valverde, saved by Al Hilal's Yassine Bounou, summed up a day when Madrid's legs, and ideas, wilted in the heat and humidity.

Gonzalo García, stepping in for the fever-stricken Kylian Mbappé, gave Madrid an early lead with a composed finish, but Rúben Neves levelled from the spot before half-time as Simone Inzaghi's men showed defensive grit and enough attacking intent to rattle their illustrious opponents.

Madrid was handed their chance at victory when VAR spotted a foul by Al Hilal's Mohammed Alqahtani on Fran Garcia in the box and the referee awarded the spot kick after checking the pitchside monitor.

Valverde stepped up to take the penalty two minutes into added time, but his low effort into the bottom corner was saved by Bounou, sparking wild celebrations from his teammates.

RB Salzburg and Pachuca meet in the other Group H fixture later on Wednesday. Madrid will next face the Mexican side on Sunday, while Al Hilal will take on Salzburg in what could prove a decisive clash for qualification to the knockout stage.

With Mbappé ruled out, it was the 21-year-old Garcia who led the line for Madrid and he did not disappoint, while new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold was nowhere near the level that persuaded the Spanish club to lure him from Liverpool.

It was Al Hilal, however, who burst out of the blocks, swarming around the Madrid penalty area with early intent -- though their finishing let them down at crucial moments.

Getty Images

---

In the 29th minute, Salem Al-Dawsari nearly produced a moment of magic, weaving his way into the box before Aurelien Tchouameni slid in with a crucial interception to steer the ball behind.

The Saudi side thought they had taken the lead shortly after, only for their celebrations to be cut short by an offside flag.

Despite the heat -- and with the cheapest tickets in the stadium selling for over $160 while premium seats soared beyond $950 -- a vibrant crowd kept the energy high.

A much-needed 30th-minute cooling break gave Madrid a chance to regroup, with players draping towels over their shoulders and gulping down rehydrating drinks. The short pause seemed to work wonders.

Four minutes later, Madrid struck. A slick team move carved open the Al Hilal defence, and Garcia showed composure beyond his years, delicately lifting the ball over Bounou after being teed up by Rodrygo.

But Al Hilal refused to wilt. They drew level four minutes before halftime when Neves calmly slotted home a penalty after Raul Asencio pulled back Marcos Leonardo in the area.

On the stroke of half-time, Al-Dawsari went close again, firing narrowly wide after latching onto a clever pass from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to cap another flowing Al Hilal attack.

Madrid stepped up a gear after the restart with substitute Arda Guler's shot crashing against the bar before Bounou made a stunning reaction save to deny Garcia.

A second cooling break in the 68th minute did not refresh Madrid and although they continued to dominate, the Al Hilal defence held firm.

Garcia, who had netted 25 league goals for Madrid's reserves this season, was voted the player of the match. He said: "It's special, not only to score the first goal under Xabi Alonso. It was a special game for me because it's my first start in this jersey, which means the world to me. I hope I can continue to get more minutes under my belt and make a contribution to the team."

On earning his first start for Madrid, he said: "[It was] more than a reward, it's a clear example that all the players at La Fábrica, in this case those at Castilla, are ready. We're there training so that when our opportunity comes, we know how to take advantage of it, just like Víctor [Muñoz] and I have done," he said. "I believe in my abilities, I knew what I had to do, but I don't compare myself to anyone. Endrick is a great striker, as are the rest of the players. We're talking about the Real Madrid squad, they're the best players in the world. When we get our chance at Castilla, we're going to take it like we've been doing all season."