Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid hosted Manchester City in a UEFA Champions League clash that renewed the rivalry between the two teams and delivered one of the most-watched encounters in the competition. The match ended with a 1-2 win for Man City, who climbed to fourth spot and are further confirming their qualification...

Real Madrid were looking to keep pace with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table on Wednesday against Athletic Bilbao. Xabi Alonso’s side were in desperate need of three points, considering their last three La Liga matches against Rayo Vallecano, Elche, and Girona all ended in draws. Those...

Real Madrid failed to secure a win against Rayo Vallecano in Gameweek 12 of the 2025/2026 La Liga season. Rayo Vallecano ended Real Madrid’s four-game winning streak by holding them to a goalless draw at Estadio de Vallecas. Los Blancos entered the game with a clear objective: to take all...

Liverpool vs Real Madrid has become something of a modern UEFA Champions League rivalry to look forward to. Real Madrid have always seemed to have Liverpool’s number, inflicting some famous and painful losses. The animosity stems from the infamous 2018 Champions League Final, in which Mohamed Salah was injured by Sergio...

Under new coach Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid have adopted a strategy focused on structured control and smart positioning for the 2025/2026 season. Arda Güler has thrived in this new system, transforming from a promising player into a key creative force for the team. Playing mainly in the right half-space as...

Real Madrid hosted Barcelona at the prestigious Estadio Santiago Bernabéu and, after a powerful attacking performance, convincingly won the tenth La Liga fixture. On the other hand, Barcelona's disappointing El Clásico defeat confirms the issues within this squad and widens the gap between the two teams in the standings. Following this game, Real...

Real Madrid faced Juventus for the third game of the UEFA Champions League group stage, and Los Blancos won three points to join the four leading teams of this phase with nine points each. Real Madrid did the job and secured the win, but their performance was not that satisfying...

As Barcelona approach the first Clásico of the 2025/2026 season under Hansi Flick tactics, the atmosphere feels markedly different from the dominance of the previous campaign. Flick, who led the team to a historic domestic treble, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, while defeating...

As Xabi Alonso embarks on his first full season in charge of Real Madrid, one question stands out above all others: How is he trying to get the best out of this immensely talented squad? For years, Los Blancos' success has relied heavily on individual brilliance rather than on a...

Xabi Alonso faces a tactical conundrum that strikes at the very heart of Real Madrid’s attacking identity: choosing between two world-class Brazilians who both thrive on the same flank. Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo have each built their reputations on dynamic, high-impact performances, yet their best football often comes when deployed...

El Derbi Madrileño is always a massive story in the Spanish capital, and it was not different this past weekend when Atlético Madrid hosted Real Madrid for the first derby in La Liga this season. For Atlético Madrid, the season didn’t get off to the greatest start. After six games,...

Florian Wirtz’s arrival at Liverpool was met with huge anticipation, with many believing that the German playmaker would become a cornerstone of Arne Slot’s new-look system. Having shone consistently in the Bundesliga, Wirtz brought with him the reputation of a creative force, capable of dictating play between the lines and...

Inverting the central centre-back (CCB) under Rúben Amorim has become a major talking point for Manchester United. Many questions have been asked about why the Portuguese tactician takes this approach and its pros and cons. Our Rúben Amorim tactical analysis and back-five tactical theory article analyses Rúben Amorim tactics, comparing...

Rondo and possession exercises are now staples in most modern football coaches' repertoires. They can, and should, be used throughout the season.  However, they can be particularly useful to coaches during pre-season as a way to break down the components of a particular game model while providing enough intensity to...

As coaches prepare for the upcoming season, implementing a cohesive pressing system is crucial for teams seeking to control games when they do not have the ball and when trying to force the opposition to play into areas they feel they can exploit.  Working on a variety of pressing options...

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid crashed out of the FIFA Club World Cup in embarrassing fashion at the hands of Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain. The 4-0 thrashing by current Champions League winner PSG showed that Los Blancos have a long way to go to regain their status as one of Europe’s elite...

Real Madrid eliminated Juventus from the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup with a 1-0 win. Los Blancos advance to the Club World Cup quarter-finals, where they will go on to face Borussia Dortmund. The match confirmed that I Bianconeri will need to make some remarkable adjustments...

The Xabi Alonso era at Real Madrid did not get off to the best of starts, but there were some promising signs in their opening match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against Al-Hilal.  Of course, we have to sit back and remember this is a Club World Cup,...

Now it’s finally official: Carlo Ancelotti’s second stint as Real Madrid manager has come to an end, and former Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso will replace him. It has been an open secret for over a year that Florentino Perez wanted his former player to be the next Real Madrid manager. With the current season...

Álvaro Carreras is the latest player to be linked with Real Madrid. The 22-year-old Spaniard currently plies his trade with SL Benfica. However, he's reportedly being lined up to join Xabi Alonso at the Bernabeu this summer. The youngster came through the Manchester United Academy and played on loan at...