Despite a 2-1 comeback win over Mallorca and a flawless nine points, manager Xabi Alonso points to pressing issues and room for improvement, insisting his team is still a work in progress.
Real Madrid secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a stubborn Real Mallorca on Saturday night, but the post-match conversation was less about the three points and more about the performance. In a thrilling, and at times controversial, encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu, manager Xabi Alonso praised his team’s conviction but was quick to highlight the aspects that need correcting.
The win, sealed by quickfire goals from Vinicius Jr. and Arda Guler after Vedat Muriqi’s surprise opener for Mallorca, maintains Los Blancos’ 100% record atop the La Liga table. However, the scoreline could have been more comfortable had several Madrid goals not been disallowed, leaving a sense of what might have been.
Speaking to reporters after the final whistle, Alonso offered a measured assessment. “It was a game of phases. We didn’t start off the best, but we reacted well,” he began, before pinpointing a key concern. “We weren’t as tight in pressing the opposition’s half, something we’d been doing well up until now, and we need to look at that and correct it.”
Despite the critique, the manager acknowledged the positive strides his team has made since his summer arrival, especially in attack. “We attacked better than we did against Osasuna and created more,” he said. “The conviction of the team and the players is building, and that’s important to me.”
Alonso confirmed the team is “obviously better than we were at the start,” but with the Champions League on the horizon after the international break, he knows the work is far from over. “Starting with 9 out of 9 points is good, and we’re pleased,” he admitted, “but we have to keep improving things.”
The manager also took time to praise individual performances. On Vinicius Jr., he said, “The goal was important. I’m happy with his performance.” He reserved special praise for summer signing Álvaro Carreras, calling his adaptation “extraordinary” and labeling him “a very good addition for the present and the future.”
Even Kylian Mbappe’s rare off-night, which ended a prolific scoring streak, didn’t worry the coach. “I’m not worried at all that he hasn’t scored because he’ll continue to score. He’s been very close… I’m sure he’ll score in the next few matches.”
The message from the Bernabeu is clear: perfection in results is welcomed, but perfection in performance is the ultimate goal. As his players depart for international duty, Alonso’s focus is already on ensuring the team returns ready to build on this promising, yet imperfect, foundation.
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