What is the most talked-about topic surrounding Real Madrid right now?
The team’s performance across all levels of the club continues to be a cause for concern. Last Wednesday, Real Madrid narrowly defeated Olympiacos in the Champions League, but their display left a poor impression. After drawing 1-1 away to Girona on Sunday night, Los Blancos ceded the La Liga top spot to rivals Barcelona and now trail by 1 point.
Xabi Alonso’s side has recorded three consecutive draws in the league, following a 0-0 away stalemate with Rayo Vallecano and a 2-2 draw at Elche. Their last league victory came on November 1 at home to Valencia.
“The season is long, and we must move forward,” a solemn Alonso said at the post-match press conference last night. “We came close to turning the tide. We need to maintain our unity and conduct fair and necessary self-criticism.”
Real Madrid’s only goal came from a penalty converted by Kylian Mbappé, who has scored 23 of the team’s 41 goals in all competitions so far this season.
What is the atmosphere like in the dressing room?
There are certain divisions in the dressing room, though these have not yet significantly affected relations between players. Back in late October, when the team was still top of the table, Alonso’s personal approach and some of his footballing philosophies were unpopular among many first-team players.
Last week, Spanish media reported that Alonso held a meeting with the players to resolve differences. “I will focus on the positives that happened on the pitch,” Alonso said at the post-match press conference in Athens last Wednesday when asked about preparations for the game.
Some players, such as Mbappé, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, took the opportunity of Real Madrid’s 4-3 win in Greece (their first victory in four games) to deny tensions within the team in the mixed zone and on social media. However, no players spoke to the media after yesterday’s draw with Girona.
Currently, some players in the dressing room remain skeptical of Alonso’s methods, while others believe the manager is not to blame.
“This is clearly not the coach’s fault,” one of the latter group told Camel Live.
What is Xabi Alonso’s current situation?
Club and coaching staff sources admit that turning the team’s fortunes around is extremely difficult. One source described the situation as “extremely tricky” because “we are playing really badly.” Another labeled Sunday’s result and performance against Girona, who are in the La Liga relegation zone, as “a disaster.”
When asked about Alonso’s future, these sources stated that Real Madrid’s upcoming match (an away La Liga fixture against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday) is crucial not only in terms of results but also image.
Sources close to the dressing room also acknowledge the current worrying situation. They say Alonso’s message has not been effectively communicated to the players, but they add that the problem does not lie solely with the coach.
A source who was based at Valdebebas (Real Madrid’s training ground) last season commented: “The issue is not Alonso. Mbappé, Vinícius and Bellingham are incompatible with each other; with these three in the team, it’s impossible to maintain balance.”
What might we have overlooked? What other aspects deserve attention?
On September 12, Antonio Rüdiger was diagnosed with an injury to his left thigh rectus femoris muscle. His subsequent return to the starting lineup after recovering was quite surprising, as the original plan was for him to make a gradual comeback. The 32-year-old German centre-back played through pain last season and had to undergo knee surgery, then suffered a new physical problem in September, so he had hoped to follow a phased return plan. However, he told Alonso he was fit to play, and the coach decided to start him.
Álvaro Relas made his first La Liga substitute appearance this season; he also sat on the bench in the Champions League match against Kairat Almaty in September. The left-back was prepared to come on as a substitute in the second half, but Mbappé’s penalty conversion disrupted the substitution plan, and the 22-year-old only entered the game in the 90th minute.
Rodrygo also got playing time in the second half and could have won another penalty. The Brazilian player has not scored in 30 consecutive games – a poor record that equals the worst ever for a Real Madrid forward, matching that of Mariano Díaz Mejía. During this period, Rodrygo has played 1,339 minutes, while Mariano, who left the club in 2023, only played 986 minutes.
