These observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here.
JUST MINUTES AFTER Real Madrid
’s win over Juventus in the round-of-16 of the Club World Cup, man-of-the-match Fede Valverde put into layman terms how Xabi-ball eventually found a way to crack the Juventus barricade.“Xabi’s message was the same as always,” Valverde explained. “To have control of
the ball and when we lose it, recover it quickly to attack again quickly. That’s how rivals wear themselves down mentally.”
Even in the first half, when Real Madrid couldn’t generate a clear-cut chance for all their control on the ball, you could see and appreciate the idea. There were three ‘moments’: One built through a surgical off-ball run from Fede Valverde on the right-wing which Arda Güler expertly found with a dink over the top. Another two from distance from Vinicius and Valverde respectively.
But there was a method to the build-up. Every zone was occupied by a white shirt. The ball was worked around until an opening was found. Sometimes the only opening that will arise is a long distance zinger, and that’s ok in Xabi Alonso’s scheme. Eventually, opponents will tire and expose themselves. Playing against it is draining both physically and mentally.
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami has an interesting vantage point for journalists. We are situated mostly behind the goal rather than on the sideline. One thing I had noted, even in that first half where people were worried about how the game was unfolding (Juventus has several dangerous breaks behind the high line, which is a point we’ll address) was that Real Madrid were positionally so well-drilled that Juventus could barely breathe.
I remember sitting there, looking at how high the defensive line was, and thinking: ‘even if Real Madrid do end up losing possession here, Juventus are in no position to escape. They’ve lost possession even before they’ve won it.’
“The coach’s plan is to steal the ball as high up the field as possible,” Fran Garcia said after the game. “That’s going to give us the chance to steal it close to the opponent’s area and create more chances, and Trent and I have to try to connect our lines on those occasions.”
What Xabi Alonso is looking to implement at Real Madrid now is different. It may be neither better nor worse, though, clearly, the aim is to improve the team and make them champions of every tournament they play in. But it is different, and ironing out the kinks and details will take time. But this is the vision — to suffocate and to demoralize enemies methodically.
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JUST MOMENTS AFTER Fran Garcia deservedly picked up man-of-the-match honours in Real Madrid’s 3 - 2 win over Borussia Dortmund in the quarter finals of the Club World Cup, the Spanish left-back, re-born and rejuvenated under Xabi Alonso’s wing, discussed the importance of his role.
“We full-backs are the link between the defenders and the midfielders so that the team doesn’t fall apart,” Fran Garcia said. “I think football these days demands a lot from us full-backs, both in attack and defense, and Xabi makes that very clear to us.”
I have seen people say that this version of Fran Garcia is more akin to the version of him we saw at Rayo Vallecano. I would go one step further: It’s better.
Part of that is down to the differences between Alonso and Ancelotti’s scheme, and how Vinicius is being used.
Under Ancelotti, the attack was heavily focused on getting the ball to Vinicius and allowing him the freedom to dribble through multiple players. For lack of a better analogy, it was ‘iso-ball’, and Vinicius would regularly look off Fran’s overloads.
Now things are different. There is more emphasis on the collective, the wing-backs’ job, now, is to provide width, high up the field, and to make runs in behind that players like Dean Huijsen and Arda Güler can play through-balls to. They must press, win the ball aggressively, and hunt wing-backs and make them uncomfortable. Fran Garcia feels empowered, important. He knows if he makes that run now, he will be rewarded with the pass.
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Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images24 HOURS BEFORE Real Madrid took the field against Pachuca, Arda Güler told me that he prefers to play in midfield, rather than the right wing.
“I can adapt to any position,” Güler said. “If the team needs me on the wing I can play there, but for me it’s better if I play in midfield because from there I can touch the ball more.”
About 30 minutes later, I asked Xabi Alonso whether or not he agrees with Güler’s own assessment.
“I agree with Arda that he needs to be close to the ball,” Alonso said. “He’s one player that is special because the more touches he has, normally the better plays himself and better plays the team. The other day, he had a very good impact in the second half (against Al Hilal) as he was close to where everything’s happening, I think that it helps him.”
Güler’s presence and emergence as the team’s quarter-back has been a revelation. He is, as cliché as it sounds, the signing that Real Madrid needed to make — he is the profile of midfield ball-progressor the team so desperately needed in the post Toni Kroos era.
Güler has slotted into his role seamlessly. He is vertical. His vision is unique, and his execution goes hand-in-hand with his ability to look up and play the same pass that his mind calculates. It has been tradition: When Güler tilts his head up to see a player in the box, he plays a deadly ball into the box. The Güler head-tild is the new Kroos finger-point.
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But Güler’s early success should also be attributed to Alonso’s blueprint. In Güler and Dean Huijsen, Alonso now has two excellent ball progressors from central areas. The idea is to always have outlets for them to hit. Alonso in the past couple weeks has spoken about Güler playing deeper, with Jude Bellingham just ahead moving between the lines to show as a receiver. The overloads from the wing-backs open up even more vertical channels.
There will be drawbacks. Güler, while looking better defensively and active in the pressing scheme, is not a traditional defensive midfielder if the opposing team breaks through when Real Madrid lose possession. Add to the mix: Wing-backs high up the field and aggressive defenders, you can easily foresee where Real Madrid’s weak-points will be next season.
Against PSG, Güler had little-to-no influence, and the midfield got carved. But most of that was not down to Güler. The forwards offered no effort in the first line of defense, and the center-backs stepped unnecessarily. Before Güler could look to see how it happened, he was singled-handedly marking several PSG shirts. The assault was self-inflicted by the team.
“We all have to help him,” Alonso said of Güler’s defensive struggles after Real Madrid’s win over Dortmund. “He’ll have some things to improve, but you improve by playing.”
These are the fledgling days of the Xabi Alonso project. That he’s gotten such an uptick from players who were largely already in the squad last year that were either not used or misused (Gonzalo Garcia, Fran Garcia, Arda Güler), the thought of where this team might be months, or even two years down the road, is exciting.
Güler’s role will likely continually evolve as he improves his understanding of his function in Alonso’s scheme. If he has defensive short-comings, it certainly helps that he’s paired with two players — Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde — who will run themselves into the earth’s core.
“Not just Güler,” Alonso said so as the take the weight of the Turk’s shoulders. “It could be Aurélien, Dani... He’s doing well, I’m happy, but a team isn’t built by just one player; we’re on the path to strengthening that area of the pitch.”
ABOUT 30 MINUTES after Real Madrid’s 3 - 0 win over Salzburg — another game where Gonzalo Garcia looked lights out — I asked Xabi Alonso how much he know about Garcia before joining as head coach, and whether or not he was surprised at how good the Spanish forward is.
I had been thinking these past few weeks about how much Garcia reminds me of Raul. There is something about the way he moves — his intelligence off the ball, his instinct, his touch — that gives us a glimpse of the eternal Raul. When Garcia scored against Salzburg with a chip (a Raul trademark), I officially proclaimed it on social media:
So I can say it officially now: GG reminds me on a certain number 7
— Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) June 27, 2025
Heading down to the press conference that night, one journalist stopped me to ask whether or not I was referring to Raul in my post. We spoke the entire walk down, from press box to press conference room, about Gonzalo Garcia and other strikers he reminds us off. By the time Xabi Alonso, unprompted, told me that Garcia reminds him of Raul, we looked at each other and chuckled.
“I knew him well,” Xabi Alonso said of Gonzalo Garcia. “I’ve been following Castilla a lot. I knew a lot of Castilla players. To be honest, I am not surprised. He is a typical number 9. He reminds me of Raul — he’s always in the right position and always waiting for the chance. His work ethic is great. The players from Castilla — they get a chance and they fight for it. That’s what he’s doing. We need him more. We want him to be here and we’re happy for him.”
Garcia is the profile Real Madrid needed in the squad — the one that fans begged to sign. It is a disservice to him to call him a Joselu or a Budimir. The truth is, he is more — much more. His talent and ability is much more special. He isn’t as great in the air as either of those two, but he’s very good as a target, and his slight short-coming compared to those two aerially, is made up for ten-fold by his hold-up play, link-up play, pressing, dribbling, and first-touch. Gonzalo Garcia isn’t just a squad player who can serve a niche — he is a star that should be part of the team’s future core.
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Even the biggest Gonzalo Garcia admirers didn’t see this coming. The discussion is now about how to maximize Vinicius and Mbappe alongside him. Will Garcia be demoted to a 12th man (first off the bench in attack) now that Mbappe is back to full match fitness? Can Vinicius - Mbappe - Garcia all co-exist without disrupting balance?
One of the refreshing things about Alonso has been his utter disregard for seniority. Garcia was good enough to start from day one. His age and lack of first-team experience was irrelevant. Alonso has subbed off Vinicius in the second half of each game of the Club World Cup so far. If Garcia deserves to play, he will play regardless of the names ahead of him.
But it will be interesting to see what Alonso does with the attacking pieces. He will have Vinicius, Mbappe, Brahim, Garcia, and Franco Mastantuono to work with. Güler and Bellingham will play in midfield. Rodrygo has one foot out the door. It remains to be seen what will happen with Endrick.
This is a new look attack.
MY BIGGEST CONCERN heading into the game against PSG — apart from Dean Huijsen’s red card leading to two aggressive defenders (Asencio, Rüdiger) starting in the backline, was how the team’s press would be affected by the presence of three attackers: Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe.
(A general theme that I think Real Madrid will run into next season is how teams can exploit the high line. Trent will be high up the field. The right-center-back is a huge question mark. I can foresee lots of fire-fighting, gambles, and even red cards with either Rüdiger or Asencio on that side. Last season, Ancelotti played a high line without a press — which is the worst place to be in from a defensive structural standpoint. This season, if Alonso is to hold a high line, which he will, the press will need to be air-tight to compensate and limit tests.)
Up until that PSG match, Alonso had only fielded two up top: Vinicius, Garcia. But this was the first time he had Mbappe available to him from the start.
The team’s defensive structure nose-dived off a cliff.
The press, for the first time in the tournament, vanished. To make matters worse, the press vanished against the European champions. And to put the nail in the coffin: After PSG waltzed through the first line of ‘defense’, rotations were late and the center-backs gambled. PSG tore Real Madrid apart.
“You have to analyze the video,” The ever-honest Thibaut Courtois said after the game. “We were always a little late, and when you’re late, everyone is out of position. They run forward, and you have to turn around and lose time”
What initially looked like a shift in tactics — a plan to drop into a more conservative low block while relying on transition counter-attacks — was actually not part of the plan at all.
“We lacked the coach’s plan of wanting to play and find space up front,” Courtois explained. “We struggled to maintain possession, and they were good at finding the open man when pressing and creating a lot of danger.”
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Alonso, in his words to me after the game, said the plan was derailed in large part to two big mistakes, from Asencio and Rüdiger respectively, that derailed the game.
“Well, for sure, we had a proper, strong set-back at 2-0 down, and we knew that to recover our clarity on the pitch after such a set-back it was not easy,” Alonso told me. “We had to try and not to lose our temper and it wasn’t easy. But today it wasn’t just about our pressing. It had been about our fluidity with the ball as well. It’s a game that we need to take a lot of lessons from.”
What happened against PSG, was, perhaps, exactly what needed to happen — exactly what Xabi Alonso needed to see firsthand. As Alonso put it, the mistake would be to ‘not learn from these mistakes’.
MY FIRST QUESTION ever to Xabi Alonso was June 17th, one day before Real Madrid’s Club World Cup opener against Al Hilal. It was the most pressing (no pun intended) question on my mind.
The question, verbatim, was “I’m wondering if you can speak about the team’s tactical identity, and specifically about the team’s pressing. There have been a lot of conversations in the media over the past year about Mbappe specifically. He’s such an incredible offensive player, but there are concerns whether he can press or not. Do you think that this is exaggerated, or do you think it’s a fair statement. If so, how might that change your approach.”
Alonso is very careful in the wording of his answers. He will never single out a player, even if, behind the scenes, he may be frustrated with him. This is the correct approach. After, Real Madrid’s 4 - 0 loss to PSG, a journalist asked Alonso about the Vinicius - Mbappe pairing not working. Alonso steered the question to his own liking: “We are not going to talk about individual players, only the team.”
The team’s defense, with Mbappe and Vinicius spearheading the first line of defense together, has never worked. And this is where my question stems from. Alonso’s main philosophy is about off-ball structure — defending together, man-to-man, and blocking opposition’s build-up-play deep into enemy territory. If he has players who can’t help him implement that, what is the point of having him coach Real Madrid? Assuming he can’t change the ways of Mbappe and Vinicius, he will have to bench one of them.
(Lumping Vinicius into this same conversation is a bit tricky. He is, historically, a very hard-working defensive player. For whatever reason, when Mbappe is on the field with him, his defensive traits seem to vanish, and the problem doubles — two players, instead of just one, not defending. Draw your own conclusions and theories.)
“Well, what I know is that nowadays you need a team that presses like a unit,” Alonso answered. “We have 11 individuals, we have to make them work together and do defensive work. Nowadays it’s so important and for sure it’s something we have to address. And so far in just a few days, we have tried to do it. And, for the short term, and for sure in the long term, it’s going to be very decisive in our performance”
The ideal option: Alonso gets both Mbappe and Vinicius to buy in together, and the team blazes fire over Europe — hitting their unfulfilled ceiling as a duo, finding synergy in offense, and sacrificing their lungs on defense for the greater good.
But, there may not be any other way around it: Alonso will likely have to bench one of them come next season, and it will be one of the most difficult decisions a manager has to make. The names on the back of these shirts are beyond big — these are super-duper-stars. The moment one of them gets demoted, there will be a frenzy in the media, fanbase, and the camps of those respective stars. The only way to keep the off-field drama at minimal damage will be through pure winning. If Alonso gets results, life will go on. If he doesn’t — welp.
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ALONSO HAS OPTIONS — but he also has pressure on his shoulders. The pressure doesn’t come from the club as much as it does from external noise.
Real Madrid will allow Alonso to make his own choices, even if that means benching the President’s favourite(s). The pressure of benching such figures will come from outside turbulence. But so long as Alonso can win and handle the press room, he will have as long of a leash as he wants.
There are more encouraging signs than there are alarm bells. Real Madrid, for the majority of this tournament, looked like a real unit. Dean Huijsen has fit like a glove. Trent’s best days at Real Madrid are ahead of him, and his addition — along with Dani Carvajal’s return — will ensure Fede Valverde lifts weights in midfield, and the defensive sieve that is Lucas Vazquez will have moved on. Eduardo Camavinga will return. Güler looks ready for the task Alonso is asking of him.
Of course, there is also Gonzalo Garcia, who is essentially a new signing and a ready contributor.
There’s also the tactical side of things, which, until the PSG game, are trending, and will continue to trend, in the right direction. Growth is not linear.
“He’s got clear ideas—he wants to get that across,” Dean Huijsen said the day before Real Madrid’s first game against Al Hilal. “The intensity is high, the level is high. It’s great to be around guys like this: they’re all good guys, all humble.”
Will Mbappe buy in to Alonso’s defensive demands? Can Alonso get Vinicius and Mbappe to co-exist in a way that’s conducive to winning titles? Can Alonso get Vinicius back to his Ballon D’or level?
THERE WAS ACCOUNTABILITY from Xabi Alonso after his side’s brutal loss to PSG.
“Today’s result is good for us, as we know how far we still have to go to improve,” Alonso said after the game. “We’re just starting out. We’ve been in a competitive environment for three weeks without training, and now we need to know where we are, look at where we want to be, and prepare for it. We’ll be back in four weeks.”
When asked about the gap between the two teams, Luis Enrique said it’s normal.
“Different situations,” Lucho said. “Xabi Alonso is new. We’ve been working on this for 2 years. It’s normal.”
Alonso is a methodical analyst and student of the game. There is little doubt that he’s dissecting the PSG game and coming back with sharpened ideas. There’s also a good chance that he needed to see that game up close to see what does and doesn’t work.
Maybe the biggest positive: The Club World Cup was a good thing for Real Madrid.
Prize money aside, from a pure sporting perspective for the club, Xabi Alonso getting a bonus runway before the season starts to work with the team is a huge positive. It’s better that PSG loss comes now, and not during a significant game in the 2025 - 2026 season.
Above all, Alonso is six (six!!) games in, and the club were right to go with a progressive coach and club legend to steer this ship.
Judgements will not come now, but at the end of the season.
“This isn’t the starting point for next season,” Alonso said. “There are positive things in this process, maybe not today. But today isn’t the start of next season, it’s the end of the last one.
“It’s sometimes good to see our mistakes and learn from them in the future. If we repeat the same mistakes over and over again, we won’t be smart.”
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