Following Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against FC Bayern Munich, football pundit Roy Keane singled out right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold for harsh criticism.
«I’m fed up. It’s the same in every big game,» fumed the former Manchester United captain and midfielder during his Tuesday evening appearance as a TV expert on CBS, referring to Alexander-Arnold. Keane is particularly annoyed that the former Liverpool player’s immense offensive qualities are constantly highlighted, while his defensive behaviour repeatedly leaves much to be desired.
«At this level, in the Champions League, you can’t just switch off like that,» Keane stated, commenting on Alexander-Arnold’s involvement in Bayern’s opening goal scored by Luis Diaz in the 41st minute. The Colombian had run behind the Real defender in the build-up and subsequently slotted a beautiful through ball from Serge Gnabry into the net with composure and unchallenged.
«That’s a childish mistake. To let Luis Diaz run past you as if you weren’t even there? That’s rubbish! I beg you,» Keane roared. Alexander-Arnold «still defends as if he has never played right-back in his life. Important games demand great defenders, and right now, he is far from being one,» added the 54-year-old, who made 479 competitive appearances for Manchester United between 1993 and 2005.
Trent Alexander-Arnold Assisted Real Madrid’s Goal Against FC Bayern
Keane is known for his criticism of Alexander-Arnold and had previously critiqued him when he still wore the Liverpool shirt. Last year, when Alexander-Arnold’s move to Madrid was already on the horizon, Keane questioned the Englishman’s suitability for Los Blancos on the podcast Stick to Football: «If Trent Alexander-Arnold goes to Real Madrid, then good luck – as if they don’t know how to defend at Real,» he then doubted Alexander-Arnold’s defensive qualities.
After a total of 21 years at LFC, Alexander-Arnold moved to Madrid last summer for a transfer fee of ten million Euros. Due in part to recurring injury problems, the Liverpool native has not yet consistently impressed in Spain, with five assists in 23 appearances for Real to date.
On a positive note: three of these five assists came in Alexander-Arnold’s three most recent games. He also shone as a creator against Bayern, setting up Kylian Mbappe’s goal for the 2-1 final score in the 74th minute. «Before the game, we talked about getting in behind their defence, with runs behind their full-backs, and I saw an opportunity there,» Alexander-Arnold explained his assist to CBS. «I saw Kylian running, played the ball with a lot of power, and he did very well.»
Alexander-Arnold recently suffered a bitter setback when he was not nominated by England’s national coach Thomas Tuchel for the test matches against Uruguay (1-1) and Japan (0-1) in late March. Tuchel explained that it was not a decision against Alexander-Arnold, but explicitly in favour of other players. «It’s not about what Trent can’t give us,» the German coach said. «I know very well what Trent can do and where his strengths lie.»
Tuchel has not called up Alexander-Arnold since last June, which was also the date of the Real star’s last of his 34 international appearances. In the final phase of the season, Alexander-Arnold will do everything he can to convince Tuchel to take him to the World Cup this summer.
Real Madrid Hopes for Turnaround in Return Leg Against Bayern Munich
Meanwhile, Real pressed for an equalizer against Bayern in the closing stages, but it remained a narrow defeat. Thus, Alexander-Arnold and Co. face a monumental task in next Wednesday’s return leg in Munich to potentially reach the Champions League semi-finals.
«It will be a huge task to win at the Allianz Arena, but at a club like this, we grow beyond ourselves in such moments,» Alexander-Arnold nevertheless expressed hope. Before the second duel with Bayern comes into focus, Real will face FC Girona in the domestic league on Friday. A victory is absolutely essential if they want to avoid extending the gap to league leaders FC Barcelona (currently seven points) and potentially definitively squander their chance at the Spanish championship title.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: His Statistics for Real Madrid
| Matches | Goals | Assists |
| 23 | 0 | 5 |