Apr 8, 2026, 05:35 AM ETOpen Extended Reactions
England boss Thomas Tuchel was in attendance as Trent Alexander-Arnold's strengths and weaknesses were on full display in Real Madrid's defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday, while Harry Kane impressed again.
Madrid fell to a 2-1 defeat in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg at the Bernabéu, with both Alexander-Arnold — who was left out of Tuchel's last squad — and England captain Kane playing the full 90 minutes. Jude Bellingham, on his way back from injury, was another Englishman to feature after coming off the bench.
It was a mixed night for Alexander-Arnold, in particular.
The right-back's defensive frailties were evident for Bayern's opener, when a run from former Liverpool teammate Luis Díaz caught him off guard, with the winger then slotting home to give the visitors the lead.
Alexander-Arnold bounced back later, however, providing a sumptuous assist for Kylian Mbappé to tap in and give Madrid a lifeline ahead of the second leg in Munich next week.
Struggling defensively but having the quality to unlock defences going forward has been a theme of Alexander-Arnold's career, long before he joined Madrid as a free agent last summer.
In between those goals, Kane scored his 42nd of the season — tying his record set last season for most UCL goals in a campaign by an Englishman (11).
The England striker placed home a sublime finish from the edge of the box, momentarily giving Bayern a two-goal advantage.
Alexander-Arnold, however, believes Mbappé's goal gives Madrid a lifeline.
"It's only halftime," the 27-year-old said. "I said the same against Man City, anything can happen — we're Real Madrid.
"We have to go over there and score at least one goal, if not more. We're on the back foot but our aim is to win this competitions, so we'll push and give everything to win and get through to the next round."
Bellingham, meanwhile, came on in the 62nd minute as he battles back from a hamstring injury. He last started a game at the beginning of February.
"He's a player who has been out for a long time," Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa said. "It's not that I feel like leaving him on the bench. I'm not suspicious regarding him and the confidence I have. We've talked a lot about how his return to the team should be and about regaining his best level progressively.
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"It's logical, and I wish he could have played 90 minutes with Bellingham since I became coach. He has given us so much because we needed a player like him, one who can handle the aggressive pressure Bayern applies, drive forward, and evade opponents. I'm very happy with the energy he showed us, his character, and his personality. I see him much better, and I'm sure he will help us a lot in Munich."
England have two more friendlies, against New Zealand and Costa Rica, before their opening World Cup group game against Croatia on June 17.
Tuchel is expected to name his 26-man squad by the beginning of June.
Information from ESPN Global Soccer Research was used in this report.
