Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso spoke to the media ahead of his team’s match against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night. He was asked for injury updates on Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold
and Dani Carvajal, to which he said: “Looking ahead to tomorrow, I don’t think Huijsen, Trent, or Carvajal will be back. I’ll give you the final report on Saturday.”
Alonso on Juventus
“It’s a European classic. They’ve faced each other many times and I’ve played in some. We feel very prepared. We want a third Champions League win and to get off to a great start. We need the stadium. People go to the Bernabéu eager to see big matches. We have to give them something so they can respond as well.
“We’re alert for Juve tomorrow. Any Italian who plays poorly can be dangerous. I don’t remember how Milan played, but I remember how the game went. We can’t forget history. Juve is a great team, past and present. They have very good players and Yildiz is one of them. He’s had a fantastic development. I know him. He was at Bayern when I was there. Seeing his progress makes me very happy.”
Alonso on the La Liga match in Miami
“I’ve already responded a couple of times, and my opinion is clear. The club is defending its interests. We’ll see what happens with Miami.”
Alonso on what has changed with Vinicius Jr
“The reason is that Vinicius is very good and fundamental. Decisive. I’m happy to see Vinicius enjoying himself, smiling… We talked about the impact he could have and how he could change the game. We need him to be focused on the game and what he does well. His day-to-day performance is good and he responds very well in games.”
Alonso on whether Endrick will go on loan
“We’re not at that point. The competition up front is intense. You have to be ready for every game. Endrick, Gonzalo, and Brahim all have to be ready. They’re going to come in, and you have to be ready. This is the elite, and we need a lot of good players.”
Alonso on whether Real Madrid need a profile like him
“I hope not… We’re going to go all the way with this squad. We’re growing and we can play well. We can compete consistently. We have a complete squad with different qualities. We have dynamic players with the potential to develop. My job is to invest in them so they’re better at the end of the season. In two months we’ve seen the development of many. We want to compete now and we’re doing well. With the ambition to keep improving.”
Alonso on whether Güler reminds him of Ozil
“Not just where they come from. It’s a mix between Özil and Guti. Guti had that quality to play in the build-up and for the final pass. Mesut too. I really enjoyed Özil. The more we find Arda, the more we improve. We have to keep pushing him. We’re very happy with him.”
Alonso on Mbappé
“It’s not just the goals. His influence is almost as important in terms of his teammates following him with and without the ball. He’s helping us. He’s scored goals everywhere. Influence, beyond scoring, is what the team needs. Kylian is in a very good moment, both vitally and personally. He’s very analytical. He does things for reasons and he has to understand them well. Now everything fits together in his head and that’s why he’s performing so well.”
Alonso on Courtois vs Casillas
“Tibu is the best in the world. He’s also curious about the game. He could be a coach in the future. Having that connection with players who love to understand football is important for a coach. I’ve experienced some fantastic things with Iker; I can’t just stick with just one. Now I have Tibu, but Iker is Iker.”
Alonso on Eduardo Camavinga
“With Eduardo, we’ve just started. He’s only been available for a few weeks. He’s been in dynamic mode for three weeks. He hasn’t played for Madrid in a while and he did a lot of things well. As a midfielder, he has a dynamic style, a way of passing very differently than others. We have to fit his individual quality into the team.”
Alonso on Franco Mastantuono
“He arrived recently and is 18 years old. We need to invest in him and help him. We’re delighted to have him with us.”
Alonso on Juventus’ tactical setup
“Tactically, Juve is a very capable team. They change positions a lot, they rotate a lot. If you’re not well-positioned, they’re capable of unbalancing you. We have to be good in that regard, with the ball, be vertical, and take the game where we want.”
Alonso on the 2017 UCL final
“Zidane certainly has that game fresh in his mind, but I remember it. They dominated from start to finish. What they did was brilliant. I have a lot of respect for Zizou.”
