Another unconvincing victory did little to change the mood around Real Madrid, but it was enough to give Xabi Alonso some breathing space as the year came to a close. After the final whistle, the Rea...
Another unconvincing victory did little to change the mood around Real Madrid, but it was enough to give Xabi Alonso some breathing space as the year came to a close.
After the final whistle, the Real Madrid coach made his way to the press room with visible relief rather than celebration.
The priority for Madrid was clear: win the game, calm the noise, and move on. Performance came second. Alonso made that clear when asked directly about how he assessed the display.
“We’re going to take some time to analyse and reflect. We had to win. It was a complicated situation. We know we can do better. And we want to start the year better,” he began saying.
Vinicius and boos from the crowd
One of the most uncomfortable moments of the night came from the stands, where Vinicius Jr. was once again met with boos.
Alonso chose not to inflame the situation, instead acknowledging the reality of the moment. Addressing the reaction, he said,
Vinicius Jr. was criticised by the home crowd. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
“The fans are sovereign and free to express themselves, but it was a difficult game.
“I appreciate the team’s current situation and with these injuries, we’re going to use this time to rest and start with enthusiasm.”
Naturally, questions followed about how Vinicius himself reacted inside the dressing room.
Alonso kept it brief and avoided speculation, explaining, “We’ve all been saying goodbye in the dressing room. We haven’t talked about it.”
Defensive lapse
Defensive fragility remains a concern, with Madrid again allowing opponents too many clear chances.
Alonso returned to his core message when asked about it, stressing results over aesthetics.
“The priority was to win. Some things didn’t go as we expected. Where we came from and these victories… now we have to follow that up with improvement.”
Pressed further on whether he had identified the deeper issue, Alonso pointed to fatigue and the physical toll on key players. He explained,
“When we don’t have the ball, we need to change the pace, be more direct.
“After these weeks, we’ve had players pushing themselves to the limit, Valverde, Asencio, Camavinga.
“I’m not focusing on today’s performance because in the future, when we recover, we’ll improve.”
Mbappe’s record
Kylian Mbappe scored another goal. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
There was also a lighter note on an individual level, as Kylian Mbappe reached a landmark associated with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Alonso praised the forward’s mentality, saying, “He always wants to make an impact, which is very good for his teammates.
“It’s a historic milestone, I congratulate him on it and encourage him for 2026.”
Injuries, however, continue to dominate Madrid’s season. Alonso acknowledged the problem without offering excuses, noting,
“There are many factors. The workload, there’s more risk of injury. It happened to Militao recently, for example.
“That penalises us a lot. We have to be creative and use players in positions they’re not used to. I appreciate that.”
Finally, when asked what he expects or demands looking ahead, Alonso kept his stance firm and understated.
“I’m not one to ask for things, I’m ready for whatever comes,” he concluded.
Category: General Sports
