Remarkably, Thibaut Courtois has made just 5 saves in the opening three league games—an telling figure that helps us understand how rarely opposition threats have reached the final line of defense. This equates to fewer than two saves per match and speaks volumes about the solidity ahead of him, so far.
Tactical Transformation Under Xabi Alonso
Under Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid have revamped their defensive identity—prioritizing high-positional play and collective pressing. The team consistently wins
the ball back high up the pitch, ensuring pressure is applied early and reducing exposure in dangerous areas. Alonso’s men allowed just 8.16 passes per defensive action, and have committed 13 tackles in the final third (the most of any team in the league).
This tactical shift hasn’t just made Real tactically sharper—it has had tangible results:
They’ve conceded zero shots in deep or dangerous zones in two of their first three matches.
They’ve registered the fewest big chances conceded—just one so far, a league-best figure.
In comparison, Barcelona have allowed 12 big chances, the most in La Liga, deepening the contrast in defensive efficiency.
Elite-Level xGA Performance
Real Madrid lead La Liga with an expected goals against (xGA) of just 1.09, another indication of defensive improvement under Alonso:
It’s still very early — too early to draw definitive conclusions. But, we do know that Alonsos’ priority was to clean up defensive holes in the team, and the team is clearly showing improvements on that end.
