Sports · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Jose Mourinho Starts Trent Alexander-Arnold in Midfield as Real Madrid Beat Inter Milan 2-1
Real Madrid beat Inter Milan 2-1 to open the Champions League at the Bernabéu. Mourinho started Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield for Real Madrid.
Whether the midfield experiment was a failure or a viable tweak.
9 of 11 outlets skipped it: mourinho refused to comment on possible midfield switch.
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Football365
“Alexander-Arnold, as if any confirmation was needed, is not that guy.”Read the original ↗
They diverge on whether the midfield trial was a failure or a workable option.
Mourinho tests Trent
Jose Mourinho handed Trent Alexander-Arnold a surprise midfield audition for Real Madrid’s Champions League win over Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Alexander-Arnold starting alongside Federico Valverde.
“"He has played very well"”
The BBC said Mourinho insisted: "He has played very well" and added that Alexander-Arnold "is not a midfielder," while the match ended 2-1 after Inter pulled one back on 77 minutes.B
Football365 described how the opening goal came after Curtis Jones surrendered possession near the edge of his own area, seconds before Kylian Mbappe took full advantage.F
The BBC also reported that Alexander-Arnold had a mixed evening, creating two chances and attempting more crosses than any other Real player, with his passing accuracy down at 83.3%.B
Mourinho responded to Inter’s 77th-minute breakthrough by making a double change that included Aurelien Tchouameni on for Alexander-Arnold, and Real Madrid ultimately saw it out.
Debate over the role
The BBC framed the decision as part of a recurring question about whether Alexander-Arnold can work in midfield, recalling that Gareth Southgate played him there for England during Euro 2024 before ending the experiment after only two group games.B
Mourinho’s view was direct after the 2-1 win, with the BBC quoting him: "He has played midfield with England and Liverpool... but he is not a midfielder," while noting Alexander-Arnold was substituted shortly after Inter pulled one back on 77 minutes.
The Sun highlighted the same midfield shift as a chance for the 27-year-old to impress, saying he was selected in the starting XI for the Champions League fixture against Inter Milan and that Mourinho was giving the England international a chance to impress in midfield.
Football365 described the experiment as an audition that did not cut through opposition backlines routinely, even as it noted flashes like "a few trademark sexy pinged balls" out to Kylian Mbappe.F
After the match, the BBC reported Mourinho’s explanation of the physical demands, quoting him: "The intensity of physical work is quite difficult."B
Absences shape next steps
Multiple outlets linked Mourinho’s midfield choice to a shortage of options, with the BBC saying suspensions for Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva left Mourinho short on options for the Inter clash.
“That leaves Mourinho with only one recognized midfielder to select: Federico Valverde”
Diario AS described the scale of the problem as a Champions League puzzle, listing absences including Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni, and saying that left Mourinho with only one recognized midfielder to select: Federico Valverde.
In that context, Diario AS laid out candidates to fill the midfield hole, including Jude Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jorge Cestero and even Dean Huijsen, while noting Mourinho’s preference for Bellingham closer to the opposition’s penalty area.
Football365, meanwhile, suggested the experiment was not enough to shelve the idea for good, adding that it would be interesting to see how it worked against La Liga opponents like a Malaga or a Getafe.F
The BBC also emphasized that Mourinho does not expect Alexander-Arnold to play there on a regular basis, saying the inclusion was largely circumstantial and that the position still caused difficulties for him in the match.