EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The glitz and glamor that are a defining element of the Real Madrid experience were on full display at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, complete with the Club World Cup's second-biggest crowd so far and a win over Borussia Dortmund to book a spot in the semifinals. The ease of a 2-0 win at the 90th minute devolved into sheer chaos in stoppage time with the scoreline 3-2 in Real Madrid's favor by the final whistle, a red card to Dean Huijsen only adding to the drama. It was not only a bump in the road for the Club World Cup semifinalists, though – the stoppage time mess introduced a new set of lineup questions for manager Xabi Alonso, who was not exactly short of them when the match had a simpler scoreline.

Before stoppage time began, it seemed like Gonzalo Garcia was once again the star of Real Madrid's show. The 21-year-old scored the game's opening goal after just 10 minutes, adding a fourth goal to his stellar tally at the Club World Cup. As Alonso described him post-match, Gonzalo Garcia remains Los Blancos' prosperous player with five goal contributions in five games and a most welcome newcomer.

"We've seen him play in the last few games and today, he did it again," Alonso said. "I said that he was playing really well and making the most of this opportunity today. He did so again. He's a very good goalscorer. He comes from a very good season with Castilla. He scored 35 goals, if I'm not mistaken, and I think that he's at the right place at the right time. We're very happy with the work he's doing and he's also scoring goals."

He was not the only fresh face to leave his mark on the game, either, with 20-year-old Arda Guler notching the assist to Gonzalo Garcia's goal and new signing Trent Alexander-Arnold recording an assist of his own 10 minutes later on Fran Garcia's goal. The opening goal offered a genuine glimpse at Real Madrid's next generation of attackers, with Guler's well-placed long ball and Gonzalo Garcia's impressive flick in front of goal. The two first half goals, as well as Real Madrid's dominant run until the game's dramatic conclusion, felt like a clear showcase of what Alonso wants for his version of the team -- they are happy to cede possession if need be but they make up the difference by striking a balance in other ways, demonstrating an efficiency that, at its best, delivers unfussy victories.

"I think that one of our main goals [of the Club World Cup] was to play closer together, with and without the ball," Alonso said, "knowing how to play compact and the height at which we need to attack and defend, when we can move our line and play in a higher block or lower block and for distances to be more efficient and not so spread out, not that stretch, that we're all in a good position to do what we want. That was our main goal. We're improving in that sense."

That efficiency includes an evolution that resembles the trends of the modern game -- and Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen -- where the fullbacks are a key part of the attack, the second goal particularly demonstrative of that. Alexander-Arnold came from the right flank to play a spectacular ball through traffic, finding Fran Garcia crashing into the box and smashing the ball into the back of the net. There's a clinical practicality to the approach, one that could improve a Madrid team that was wasteful at times last season.

"He's playing such great competition and not just today, every single game his level of concentration, intensity is perfect and he interprets very well what we ask of him with the ball, without the ball, when he needs to go forward or wait," Alonso said of Fran Garcia. "Today, he really benefitted from Vinicius' position because he attracted so many players and then he could overlap him and go near at the box. We saw his goal and couple of overlaps in the first half. I'm so happy for Fran because he's an academy player and his attitude is a top attitude, top notch. He always prepares so well and he's nailing this competition with that goal. I told him, 'If you play far from the box, you will never score. If you are near the box, you will score,' and today, he was there."

Those first 90 minutes painted such a clear picture of Alonso's Real Madrid, who feels as genuine a contender as any to win the Club World Cup, just two matches separating them from their first title since last year's UEFA Champions League. There may still be a rawness to Alonso's team but if ever there was a team that defined the phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," it might be this edition of Los Blancos. The end-of-game chaos did not only endanger their ability to reach the semifinals, though -- it offered as plain a reminder as any that Kylian Mbappe may find a way to shatter that image.

More than 80 minutes after Gonzalo Garcia left his mark on the match, Mbappe matched the 21-year-old's output on Saturday with a goal of his own. It ended up becoming the game winner, coming up with a stunning flying kick that injected a stylish flourish to a Madrid team that is arguably businesslike in nature. The goal called back to why Mbappe felt like such an obvious, headline-making addition in the Spanish capital when he made the much-awaited move from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

"A great goal," goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said. "I think he's hungry to play more and it's good for him to adapt to the temperatures and stuff after being really sick."

The juxtaposition of Gonzalo Garcia's star-making turn and the arrival of the player whose job he, at least temporarily, took introduces a new layer to Real Madrid's year-long conundrum about where exactly Mbappe fits into the picture. Gonzalo Garcia may have started as a placeholder for a gastroenteritis-stricken Mbappe but with the trophy within touching distance, it is hard to envision Alonso dropping the 21-year-old from the lineup. Real Madrid may not yet be the finished product under Alonso but his vision some reminders of why the team needs to evolve after four successful but inconsistent years with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm. While imperfection was a feature, striking a balance became all the more difficult after Mbappe turned up. It is not a reflection of Mbappe's quality – the 44 goals he has so far in a Madrid shirt would indicate otherwise – but with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo among Los Blancos' attacking options, Ancelotti was unable to find the right fit for all three.

It meant that for many, Alonso's primary task as Real Madrid's new manager would be to find a way to make Mbappe's natural place on the field, with the Club World Cup offering an early chance to find the answers. Alonso and Mbappe were unlucky with the player's gastroenteritis diagnosis, which forced him to miss the group stage and even led Alonso to describe his ability to start on Saturday as a gameday decision, the manager admitting post-match that Mbappe still is not at 100 percent. His 23-minute shift at MetLife Stadium, coupled with a similar outing in Tuesday's round of 16 win over Juventus, indicates that Alonso may have to choose between Gonzalo Garcia and Mbappe when they face Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe's former club, in Wednesday's semifinal.

Alonso has not outright dismissed the idea of Gonzalo Garcia and Mbappe taking the field alongside Vinicius but major changes to the lineup has not exactly been a feature of the manager's first games in charge, really only doing so out of necessity. How exactly those three find a way to play together, though, is a new headache for the latest Madrid manager. That is with the consideration that Rodrygo is likely on his way out, which should, in theory, make Alonso's load lighter. Gonzalo Garcia's performance is arguably a champagne problem, true to form for a team that is a constant representation of what soccer elitism looks like. A good problem, though, is still a problem. Finding ways to win, just as Madrid did on Saturday, is as strong a solution as any, but Mbappe's part in those wins may define Alonso's legacy at Real Madrid, even if it is still the early days of his tenure.