Alonso Crafting Revitalised Real Madrid for Anfield Showdown
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso heads back to Anfield for a Champions League clash against his old club Liverpool on Tuesday, following an almost flawless beginning to his tenure in the Spanish capital.
In contrast to Premier League heavyweights Liverpool, who have managed only two victories in their previous eight outings, Alonso's Madrid are riding a wave of success, overhauled from the prior campaign and enhancing their play each week under the guidance of the Basque coach.
The 15-time European winners overcame their La Liga foes Barcelona at the weekend and now seek to demonstrate their strength in yet another elite encounter versus Arne Slot's Liverpool team.
Madrid's sole loss this term occurred in a 5-2 derby thrashing at the hands of Atletico Madrid, yet Alonso's squad has advanced swiftly ever since.
A significant portion of Liverpool supporters wished the Spaniard would assume control at Anfield upon Jurgen Klopp's announcement of his exit at the conclusion of the 2023/24 season.
Graceful in possession, Alonso served as the intellectual core of Liverpool's engine room from 2004 to 2009. He played a pivotal role in the 2005 Champions League victory in Istanbul and claimed the FA Cup alongside further honours prior to his transfer to Real Madrid.
Rather than departing immediately, Alonso lingered an additional season at Bayer Leverkusen before filling the vacancy left by Carlo Ancelotti, after Madrid concluded the previous year without securing any significant prizes.
His influence at the Santiago Bernabeu has been swift, with the club triumphing in 13 of their 14 fixtures so far this season.
Ancelotti struggled to compel his glittering forward line to apply pressure on adversaries, but Alonso's group have shown commitment. Increased vigour off the ball has rendered Madrid more resilient.
"Securing silverware demands solid defending and accumulating plenty of shutouts," Alonso remarked, as his team notched their seventh clean sheet of the campaign in a 4-0 demolition of Valencia on Saturday.
The Spanish publication Marca noted that Madrid have "established a fresh character" and presently "control, overwhelm and conquer their rivals" which stands in stark opposition to the sluggishness that marked Ancelotti's concluding year.
The Italian hesitated to bench Rodrygo Goes, despite deploying him alongside Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham leaving Madrid unbalanced at the front.
Currently, no European outfit recovers possession more frequently in the attacking third than Madrid.
Alonso has further displayed readiness to adjust strategies mid-match or across games, unlike Ancelotti's more foreseeable setup.
The manager opted for a training session prior to travelling to Merseyside, ensuring Liverpool receives no clues regarding his game plan.
"This is my choice (to skip training at Anfield), we opt to prepare at home in our territory, avoiding 200 cameras scrutinising us," Alonso explained.
Key Talents Thriving
Alonso has maximised the potential of his squad's prominent figures, barring perhaps a single case.
Flanker Vinicius aired his displeasure with his manager openly in the Clasico, replaced and exiting in a display of temper.
The Brazilian issued a public apology to supporters and the institution, omitting reference to his coach, though Alonso affirmed the issue had been settled.
Vinicius performed admirably versus Valencia, even after squandering a spot-kick, and Alonso's measured approach might prove ideal for maintaining the attacker's value this term.
Mbappe is displaying outstanding prowess, building on his recovery during the latter stages of the last season.
The French striker fluffed a penalty at Anfield last year as Madrid suffered a 2-0 reversal. That moment highlighted his dip in assurance, from which Mbappe recovered strongly.
Mbappe boasts 18 goals in all tournaments already this season, while incorporating pressing into his repertoire at Alonso's urging.
Another player experiencing a revival is England's Jude Bellingham. Scoring versus Barcelona, Juventus and Valencia over the recent two weeks, the playmaker is emerging as central to Alonso's framework.
After undergoing shoulder operation in the summer to address a persistent issue, Alonso reintroduced Bellingham for his initial outing against Atletico, where Los Blancos faltered.
The manager acknowledged his mistake in hastening the Englishman's comeback and sidelined him for the subsequent pair of matches until he was primed to excel.
Alonso is moulding Turkish schemer Arda Guler into a potential successor for the exiting pillars Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
The Spaniard aims to render his Anfield revisit a dismal affair for the home side and affirm that his Madrid outfit can vie for top honours once more, as they adapt further to his vision.