Comment comes after Federico Valverde scored Real Madrid’s third in a 3-1 victory achieved almost entirely with ten men
Federico Valverde drew glowing praise from new Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso after delivering an impressive performance in a 3-1 win over Pachuca at the Club World Cup. The result came despite Los Blancos playing almost the entire match with ten men.
The Uruguayan midfielder capped a tireless display with Madrid’s third goal as he bounded into the box and latched onto a pass to seal a hard-fought victory.
“I haven’t seen many players with his physical performance,” Alonso said after the final whistle. “He reminds me of someone like Steven Gerrard. He can play anywhere, and I’m very happy to be coaching him. All coaches would like to have a Valverde on the team.”
The 25-year-old missed a crucial late penalty in the previous game against Al-Hilal and looked visibly frustrated afterward, so getting the third goal against Pachuca was some redemption for him.
“He got rid of the bad taste in his mouth from the penalty the other day today,” said Alonso. “His determination was evident in his celebration.”
Madrid’s win came after a horrendous start. Defender Raul Asencio was dismissed early for impeding Salomon Rondon as he ran through on goal. Alonso responded by tightening the midfield, leaning heavily on players like Valverde and Jude Bellingham to control the game with and without the ball.
“I’m not going to say that the three goals came because we worked on the attacking midfielders,” Alonso said, “but we did talk about it during the hydration break. They have the quality and their finishing was fantastic. It gave us an advantage in a difficult situation.
“The team showed discipline and sacrifice, knowing how to control the game without the ball. We knew that if we won the ball back, we could come out on top, and that’s how the goals came.”
