Trent Alexander-Arnold made his first start for Real Madrid since December 3rd, and it was worth the wait.
In his second appearance since a lengthy injury lay-off the right back shone and showed just why he was so hyped at Liverpool.
He had one headline moment, a pinpoint cross to Gonzalo Garcia which was tapped in to break the deadlock in a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad.
But it was the whole picture that earned him so much praise, with AS calling his passing ‘exquisite’ and insisting he’s already ‘at 100%’.
“He was solid in defence, brave in attack, and above all, delivering pinpoint passes to break lines,” they wrote.
“To showcase what he is: a defender who is much more than that. Someone with a magic touch. And someone who has been eagerly awaited.
“The Englishman has come out of hiding. And he doesn’t want to go back.”
He made five recoveries, had a 91% success rate in passing, and delivered four crosses, including the one that broke the deadlock.
When Alvaro Arbeloa withdrew Trent on the hour mark, the Bernabeu gave him his first standing ovation.
Trent is a ‘very, very intelligent guy’
Commenting on the display post-match, Arbeloa said: “I won’t say I was surprised, but from what I’ve been working with him and what we’ve talked about… he seems like a very, very intelligent guy.
“Someone who understands the game very well, and quickly grasps what we want from him, where we can get the best out of him.
“He’s not your typical full-back who’s always going to be wide, but he can play a lot centrally.
“And in our system, one where we want players to be able to move around, interchange positions, it’s a real blessing to have a player like that.”
Commenting on the wonder assist for his goal, Garcia added: “We all know he’s a player with tremendous quality and… today, with the gift he laid on for me, it was very difficult to miss.”
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