World Cup lessons: 5️⃣ key factors shaping Xabi Alonso’s new Madrid | OneFootball

In Real Madrid, a 4-0 in the semifinals of any major tournament is usually fertile ground for fires, but Xabi Alonso's first Real Madrid has also given reasons to excite its fans.

These are the five lessons we draw from his passage through the FIFA Club World Cup.

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Pressure from order

📸 David Ramos - 2025 Getty Images

Xabi Alonso wants to bring everything good that his Bayer Leverkusen offered to Real Madrid, and that means being a more proactive than reactive team.

Alonso always talks about spaces, because he knows that for Madrid to have the ball (his ultimate goal) and be the protagonist, they must be well-positioned and able to steal.

Intensity, of course, but order to be able to pressure.

Here come his doubts in the drawing

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Playing with a 5-3-2, Xabi tries to correct the team's ball exit shortcomings (Huijsen is the key) and support two full-backs, Fran García and Trrent, who suffer defensively.

But the well-known 4-3-3 gives Madrid the opportunity to occupy the field better and press high. Problem? Convincing Vinicius and Mbappé (Gonzalo takes it from the factory) that their defensive work is key.

If the three up front hinder the opponent's ability to turn the game, Madrid will steal many more times.

Xabi must find other ways

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Due to his limited experience on top-level benches, it's reasonable to expect an evolution in Alonso's ideology. The brutal demand of Madrid will drive this transition.

Leverkusen was intense pressure and forward, but with the characteristics of his stars in Madrid (Bellingham, Vinicius, and Mbappé), it invites us to expect tweaks in Alonso's discourse.

Who puts the pause?

📸 JUAN MABROMATA - AFP or licensors

In Alonso's Madrid, both Bellingham and Valverde are destined to be arriving midfielders, especially the Englishman, so Güler's appearance to increase the quota of good passes is essential.

The only doubts with the Turk are his non-existent defensive vocation.

What's to come

📸 Dan Mullan - 2025 Getty Images

The arrivals of Mastantuono and Carreras should give Xabi solid solutions in defense, already improved with the appearance of Huijsen and Trent, and a threat in the center of the field.

The return of Carvajal and Militao, two specialists in correcting problems, will help.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 CHANDAN KHANNA - AFP or licensors