Alonso: There were things that weren't good at Real Madrid

 

Xabi Alonso

Alonso: There were things that weren't good at Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso, the manager of Real Madrid, confirmed that his players gave their all, despite the loss to Manchester City in the Champions League, expressing his conviction that his club's results will improve in the upcoming matches.

Manchester City turned the tables on their hosts Real Madrid and defeated them 2-1 late Wednesday evening, in the sixth round of the group stage of the continental competition.
Real Madrid, the historic Champions League champions with 15 titles, failed to hold onto their lead after Brazilian star Rodrygo scored in the 28th minute, as the English team responded with two goals from Nico O’Reilly and Erling Haaland from a penalty kick in the 35th and 43rd minutes respectively.

Real Madrid suffered their second home defeat in just three days, after losing 0-2 to Celta Vigo in the Spanish League last Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu, the home ground of Real Madrid, which hosted their match against the team of Spanish coach Josep Guardiola.

While Manchester City raised its tally to 13 points in fourth place, boosting its chances of direct qualification to the round of 16 and compensating for its loss in the previous round against Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid's tally remained frozen at 12 points in seventh place.
The match saw French international star Kylian Mbappe sitting on the Real Madrid bench, as he did not go onto the field for fear of aggravating his injury.

Alonso said in the press conference following the match: It was an even match with different moments. We started very well with Rodrigo's goal and some other chances, but when you are not at your best mentally, things can turn around in ten minutes, from a corner kick to a penalty kick.
Alonso added in his remarks, which were reported by Real Madrid's official website: "The team continued its efforts until the very last moment and never gave up despite the difficulties we faced, most notably injuries."

The Real Madrid coach explained: "The players gave their all until the very last minute, and I can't fault them. I appreciate their courageous fight, and we must continue working. This is the Champions League, and the results at the moment aren't what we want. We are very demanding, we are self-critical, and we understand the fans. We must keep working. Things will change soon; we are convinced of that."

Alonso noted: "The team tried hard and we played some good periods. Our desire to compete, play, and give our best in the Champions League match was very positive tonight."
Regarding the boos from the fans who filled the stands, Alonso stated: "This is normal. There's nothing new. This happens when you don't win at home. The fans have supported us and stood by us at different times, giving us the energy they thought the team needed. We understand their boos and we have to accept them naturally because the level of demand here is very high."

The young coach emphasized: "We want to change this dynamic, both mentally and physically, and get the injured players back. The season is still long, and we must remain calm and patient. Things can change very quickly. These are the results; explanations are another matter."
Alonso continued: "You have to live with it. When you're the Real Madrid coach, you have to be prepared to face it with composure, responsibility, and self-criticism, while understanding that things can change at any moment. Despite the defeat, I saw positive things today, both individually and collectively. There were other things that weren't good, but we'll keep working."

Alonso spoke about Mbappe's injury and his availability for the upcoming La Liga match against Deportivo Alavés on Sunday, saying: "It's too early to speculate on his availability. We have to assess his condition daily. He wasn't ready to play today. We missed him, but we still had enough chances to score the second goal."

The Real Madrid coach praised Rodrigo's performance in the match, stating: "I was impressed with his performance. The goal was a result of other things he did well. It was positive to see him displaying high individual quality and successful dribbling."

He added: "He also scored a goal, which is very important for him. We know how good he is. I feel the support of the players. We're together every day, we prepare for matches together, and we have a close and good relationship. The hug and the goal were positive. He made the difference. I'm very happy for him. He will continue to develop, and he's on the right track."

Alonso concluded by saying: "Preparing for matches aims to deliver the best possible performance and compete at the highest level. That's why we want to play every match at a high technical, physical, and mental standard. It's crucial at this stage to maintain this fighting spirit against a strong opponent, and we are aware of that."