Al Hilal converted a penalty kick and saved another to earn a valuable point in the standings vs. global powerhouse Real Madrid.

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid tenure got off to a disappointing start as his club was held to a 1-1 draw by Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in the Club World Cup.

By Julien Pretot MIAMI (Reuters) -Al-Hilal might have fallen just short of victory, but their 1-1 draw with 15-time European champions Real Madrid at the Club World Cup on Wednesday underlined the growing strength of Arabic football on the world stage.