Real Madrid’s coach admits his team is a “work in progress” but is confident they are “on the right track” after a dramatic Champions League opener against Marseille.
Following a hard-fought 2-1 Champions League victory over Olympique Marseille, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso struck a tone of measured optimism, praising his team’s growth and resilience while acknowledging there is still significant room for improvement.
In a post-match press conference that covered everything from squad rotation to an early injury crisis, Alonso projected calm and confidence, insisting his squad is steadily evolving. “We’re growing,” he stated. “The players feel that we can carry out what we talk about… perhaps we lack a bit of continuity, but we’re on the right track and in three months’ time we’ll be much better.”
The coach reflected on a match that had a bit of everything—a strong start, a conceded goal, a red card, and a controversial late winner. He expressed particular satisfaction with his team’s maturity after going down to ten men, a period where he felt they “hardly suffered at all.”
“I really liked the first half hour… we were very confident about what to do,” Alonso said. “Despite conceding, the team continued to play well. With one less player, I didn’t feel like we wanted to hold on, we went forward just the same.”
With a demanding schedule ahead, Alonso emphasized that every player in his deep squad will be crucial, directly addressing his decision to start star winger Vinicius Junior on the bench. “We need everyone… It’s important that everyone feels important,” he explained. “No one is going to play every game. No one can feel offended for not playing a game. Vini has come on well. The substitutions had a good impact.”
The victory was slightly marred by an early injury to defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, who limped off after just three minutes. Alonso revealed the club will “wait a bit” for a full diagnosis but hinted at a need for creative solutions, potentially opening the door for younger players like Arda Guler and Franco Mastantuono to step up.
“What I said at the Club World Cup, that we had to invest in Arda, makes more sense now,” Alonso noted, defending the young Turk after a mistake led to Marseille’s goal. “It’s no problem. He’s worth it and he’s on the right track. And I say the same about Mastantuono. I think he’s going to do well.”
Ultimately, Alonso’s message was one of unity and long-term vision, living every match as if it were his last while building a team he believes will be far stronger in the months to come.
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