⚽ Match & Outcome
- Real Madrid faced Olympique de Marseille in their Champions League opener at the Santiago Bernabéu. (Reuters)
- They came from behind to win 2-1, thanks to two penalties converted by Kylian Mbappé. (Reuters)
🔴 What Went Wrong for Alexander-Arnold
- Alexander-Arnold was handed a start by coach Xabi Alonso. (Talksport)
- But disaster struck very early: within the first five minutes (some reports say even around 3 minutes), he pulled up, clutching the back of his thigh—suspected to be a muscle (hamstring or biceps femoral) injury. (Diario AS)
- He was substituted almost immediately, replaced by Dani Carvajal. (Talksport)
⚠️ Implications & Fallout
- It’s a rough start to his Champions League journey with Madrid; his debut in Europe for the club was cut drastically short. (Talksport)
- The injury is also a concern because it’s not his first muscular issue since joining Madrid. (Cadena SER)
- Coach Xabi Alonso admitted the situation puts pressure on the squad to find backup solutions at right-back. (The Standard)
