Trent Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid just won 3-0 against RB Salzburg in the final match of the FIFA Club World Cup group stage. This result puts Los Blancos at the top of the table and they will face Juventus in the round of 16.
This was Trent's third match in a new shirt, after a draw with Al Hilal and a win over Pachuca. In the first match against the current Saudi Pro League No. 1 team, Real Madrid did not win. Among the team's many lowlights, Trent emerged as the biggest highlight, even being criticized a lot on social networks.
However, after the win over Puchuca and most recently Salzburg, the 26-year-old defender's performance has improved a lot. Sharing after the most recent match, Trent said that it was his coach Xabi Alonso who helped him a lot about integration to gain the confidence he has at the moment.
When he first arrived at Real Madrid, Trent was worried that he would enter the dressing room with a lot of pressure because all of Los Blancos' players were high-class, many of whom were top stars in the world. However, those impressions gradually disappeared due to the friendliness of Real players towards the new England international.
"People gave me a very warm and friendly welcome. That gradually gave me confidence to play better.
The time for integration and familiarity has ended, now is the time to continue to strive to become the perfect version. I will try to help the team win more" - Trent shared.
One of Trent's biggest hurdles at Real Madrid has been his language. In Los Blancos, the main language of communication is Spanish. The defender spoke the local language on his first day of debut but it was not yet clear. The former Liverpool star said that in the first training sessions, he received a lot of support from his teammates and coaching staff, so that everyone could understand each other in terms of the language of football.
Against Al Hilal, Trent Alexander-Arnold had many sloppy moves. However, with the recent win over Salzburg, his best quintessence at Liverpool was recreated. His quick acceleration, skillful long passes and catching the rhythm of the game are the clearest proof.
Most of his time on the pitch, Trent often appeared on the left wing in the opponent's third. This shows the 26-year-old star's strong attack power and ability to constantly put pressure, based on his excellent fitness foundation. It cannot be denied that the weather conditions in the match against Salzburg were very favorable (playing in the evening) but it is clear that Trent had a performance that was very suitable for Real Madrid's general playing style.
According to Xabi Alonso's current formation, frequent 3-5-2 and 4-3-3 fluctuations are not uncommon, Trent can play as a right winger in the 5-man midfield or play in the same position as when he played for Liverpool, all of which have to be adapted.
Once Trent Alexander-Arnold has integrated, Real Madrid fans will see a whirlwind on the right wing, something that Dani Cavarjal or Lucas Vazquez could not create before. Alonso's playing style is based on continuous pressing with high intensity, Trent is at the best age and level to do that.
