Real Madrid's start under Xabi Alonso has been rocky, but to say that was not expected would be a lie. It will take time for things to get better, for these players to get what Alonso is telling them.
It will also take time for Alonso to get used to these players, but everything will be fine eventually.
For now, though, things look bad.
Real Madrid's result aside, there are a few things that they have to worry about. Their best player, Kylian Mbappe, missed the game against Al-Hilal due to a fever.
That fever is now confirmed to be something else, and it looks to be serious. Serious enough to be hospitalised.
Real Madrid fans left sweating after latest Kylian Mbappe update
Real Madrid confirmed on Thursday afternoon that Mbappe is suffering from acute gastroenteritis, and will be hospitalised for further tests.
This was their actual report on the player.
"Our player Kylian Mbappé is suffering from an acute case of gastroenteritis and has been admitted to hospital in order to undergo a series of tests and follow the appropriate course of treatment."
It is not good news for Real Madrid to have a player who lifts the floor and ceiling of the team so much to be out with this illness during a competition everyone knows they want to win.
Mbappe was Real Madrid's best player last season, and it was a bit tough to imagine the team not struggling in his absence.
Real Madrid struggled to create a lot of danger against Al-Hilal, at least in the first half, and with Mbappe, things would have been slightly different.
It is not yet confirmed whether Mbappe will play the next match, but it looks like he won't. Hopefully he is able to recover for the remainder of the Club World Cup as soon as possible, but without any update from reliable journalists or the club itself, it is difficult to tell.