Alonso: Real Madrid in good form ahead of El Clasico
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso says his team are in top form heading into Sunday’s highly anticipated La Liga El Clasico against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Los Blancos suffered a humiliating 5-2 defeat to city rivals Atlético Madrid earlier in the season, their only loss in 12 matches across all competitions, but Alonso believes his side have learned from that setback and are now stronger.
“Without doubt, a few weeks have passed in which we have been correcting things, doing things better,” Alonso told reporters at Saturday’s press conference.
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“For tomorrow, we are arriving at a good moment, in terms of morale, football, and our competitive level. It’s a good time for us.”
Alonso acknowledged that the El Clasico presents another major test, especially after Real Madrid’s 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semi-finals earlier this year.
“These are important games,” he said. “And I don’t just like to evaluate based on the result, but also the process. In these 12 games, there has been clear growth. There’s still room to improve, but it’s only October; no trophies or medals have been handed out yet. The most important thing now is tomorrow’s Clasico.”
Barcelona dominated last season’s Clasicos with Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti, winning both league encounters as well as triumphing in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup finals. But Alonso, who took charge of Los Blancos in June, insists this time will be different.
“There could be similar situations, yes, but the moment is different, for them and for us,” Alonso said.
“Our project is new, we’re still building, working on things daily. Tomorrow we’ll try to bring forward our strengths and have a great game.”
