Real Madrid bid farewell to the Club World Cup after falling in the semifinals to the reigning Champions League champions, PSG, led by Luis Enrique.

It wasn’t a total loss for the competition. Beyond the financial reward for reaching the semifinals, Xabi Alonso had the chance to evaluate his players’ performance at the highest competitive level. In other words, a real-time assessment ahead of what will be a challenging season.

While it’s true that Kylian Mbappé was absent for most of the tournament, the emergence of Gonzalo García as a footballing force is one of the best pieces of news for the Merengue squad.

Luis Enrique dominates Real Madrid

Five of the nine matches Luis Enrique Martínez has managed against Real Madrid ended in victory: one with Celta de Vigo, three with Barcelona, and the most recent with PSG. He hasn’t faced the club he once played for since April 23, 2017. His record is rounded out with one draw and three losses.

The record Xabi Alonso’s team couldn’t match

The Merengue side failed to equal the record for the most wins in a single season after their loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup. The 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 seasons will remain the club’s most successful campaigns with 46 wins.