Spanish and Italian media savage Alexander-Arnold and Jones after Champions League reunion

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones endured bruising reviews from the continental press after Real Madrid defeated Inter Milan 2-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Spanish and Italian outlets offering little mercy to the two former Liverpool teammates.

The pair, born less than five miles apart on Merseyside, both came through Liverpool’s academy before departing in 2025. Alexander-Arnold joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer, while Jones moved to Inter Milan last month in a £30 million deal. Tuesday’s fixture marked their first meeting since leaving Anfield.

Jones had a torrid opening. He surrendered possession in the build-up to Mbappé’s 14th-minute goal, which gave Real the lead against the run of play. Italian outlet Football Italia described the moment as a “brain f***“, while Spanish publication AS accused Jones of “falling asleep” before losing the ball. Inter’s Yann Aurel Bisseck was also criticised for his sluggish reaction on the edge of the penalty area, and Italy’s La Stampa took a more measured view, noting that Jones had created danger in attack and that the goal stemmed from “a misunderstanding between Jones and Bisseck” rather than individual negligence alone.

Alexander-Arnold fared little better in the Spanish press. Deployed in midfield — a positional shift forced by yellow-card accumulations — he struggled to impose himself on the game. Radio Marca was blunt: “The night was already off to a bad start because of that forced experiment, prompted by the yellow cards, of placing Trent Alexander-Arnold in a position where he contributed almost nothing. They thanked him and took a souvenir photo because he’s unlikely to play as a midfielder again.”

The Managing Madrid website gave him a 5/10 and wrote: “Being deployed in midfield wasn’t his decision, and the role did him few favours. Nevertheless, he looked lost defensively and had little influence in possession.”

Former Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart added to the criticism, revealing on Dutch television that he “does not enjoy watching” Alexander-Arnold, before analysing a specific passage of play to illustrate his concerns.

Despite the individual struggles, Real Madrid secured the three points to advance their Champions League campaign, leaving both ex-Liverpool men with plenty to reflect on ahead of their respective next fixtures.