Tuchel Watches England Stars as Alexander-Arnold Delivers Mixed Display in Madrid
Thomas Tuchel travelled to Madrid as part of his preparations for the upcoming World Cup, and he was treated to an exciting UEFA Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
The England manager closely watched Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham for Real Madrid, as well as Harry Kane, who led Bayern Munich’s attack. By the end of the night, Tuchel would have learned more about his key players ahead of England’s World Cup opener against Croatia national football team on 17 June.
Matches at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium are always lively, with fans gathering hours before kick-off. Thousands of Real Madrid supporters dressed in white lined the streets, especially around Plaza de los Sagrados Corazones, to welcome their team bus. The atmosphere grew even more dramatic when clear skies suddenly turned into heavy rain just before the match.
As the game unfolded, Tuchel saw different performances from the players he was studying.
Alexander-Arnold remains a difficult case. The 27-year-old, who joined Real Madrid from Liverpool FC last summer, has struggled to settle. He was left out of Tuchel’s recent England squad for friendly matches against Uruguay and Japan, and even when replacements were needed, Tuchel chose Ben White instead.
This match did little to improve Alexander-Arnold’s chances. In the first half, he gave the ball away too easily and nearly handed Bayern a goal with a poor pass to Michael Olise. He was also caught out of position by former Liverpool teammate Luis Díaz, who helped Bayern take the lead.
Tuchel has often questioned Alexander-Arnold’s defending, and this display will not ease those concerns. However, the right-back also showed his attacking quality. When Real Madrid improved in the second half, he delivered several dangerous set-pieces and provided a low cross that allowed Kylian Mbappé to score.
It was a mixed performance that summed up his season — moments of quality, but also clear weaknesses. His pass accuracy of 69.2% was the lowest of any player on the pitch.
Overall, the game gave Tuchel useful insight, but Alexander-Arnold’s inconsistent display is unlikely to change the manager’s plans for the World Cup.
