Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has praised his side’s unity after they battled to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Alavés in Sunday night’s La Liga clash.
The former Bayer Leverkusen manager had come under immense pressure after a couple of disappointing results, with just a single win from their last five league matches.
Los Blancos also suffered another 2-1 defeat in midweek to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, leading to reports surfacing about a potential sack for the Spaniard.
“We’re all together, we’re fighting together in the good moments and not so good moments”, Alonso admitted after the win.
“The team fought well. The start was very good, and we were able to go ahead again at the end. Unity is fundamental.”
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the first half with a superb curler, after he was found by a defense-splitting pass from Jude Bellingham.
Carlos Vicente equalized for the home side in the second half, the goal given by the Video Assistant Referee after it was initially ruled out for offside
Rodrygo, who had failed to score in 32 consecutive matches, grabbed his second goal in two games with the winner in the 76th minute.
Real Madrid cut the gap to Barcelona at the top of the standings to just four points after 17 matches.
“We’re very focused on doing our thing,” Alonso said. “We’re together, preparing for a game every three days. The lads deserve a lot of credit for the win. We had a lot of absentees, [defender Victor] Valdepeñas had his debut.
“We’re all together in this. We have the Copa on Wednesday and then Sevilla. There’s a long way to go, but we have to be consistent in the good things we did today”, he continued.
Xabi Alonso’s men will next face Talavera in the Copa Del Rey round of 32 on Wednesday, before facing Sevilla in the league next weekend.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
