INTERNAL PRESSURE: KYLIAN MBAPPE URGES MADRID TO SHIELD ALONSO
Kylian Mbappe's 4-goal haul leads Real Madrid to a 4-3 win over Olympiakos as he publicly backs under-fire coach Xabi Alonso.
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe wants his teammates to support each other and their coach, Xabi Alonso. Alonso has been feeling the heat lately, with some questioning his relationship with the team.
Mbappe was on fire Wednesday night, scoring all four goals in their 4-3 victory over Olympiakos. This win ended a three-game losing streak, and Mbappe told Movistar+ that it was a major boost for the team’s spirit. Marca reported his comments.
The aim is to win and boost the group's confidence—the players, coach, staff, everyone. Right now, I think it’s about making sure the Madrid fans see that we’re united and moving forward together. The road might get bumpy, but we're all staying on board. We’re united to win.”
‘My job is to score goals’ – Kylian Mbappe
Vinicius Junior had a great game, maybe his best this season. The Brazilian dished out two assists to Mbappe and played off perfect passes from Arda Guler.
I'm really happy. It’s always great to score. My teammates are giving me great passes. I’m lucky to be playing with this team and these teammates. I’m always trying to score. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't, but I'm always looking to help.
Everyone has a job on the team. Mine, as always, is to score... I can say that we don’t win without each other. Every team has players who have roles to play, and mine is to score. That's it. I don’t think we are reliant on any one person. I think that's something the media or people outside the team say.
Real Madrid’s Defence
When asked about Real Madrid’s defence, which was a sore point for Alonso, Mbappe chose to keep it positive.
We need to look back at the match. We had it under control and made changes. We need to keep doing that, focus on the good things, and fix the rest.
‘We need to protect each other’ – Mbappe
Alonso was impressed by Mbappe after the match, not just for the goals, but for his character. Mbappe seems eager to support his coach.
I think the team is doing fine. Of course, there's room to improve. When you play for Real Madrid, people are always going to talk. We players, need to support each other and the coach. We have to be united. The Madrid fans are behind us. We have a lot to play for this season, and we need to give it everything for this club.
"LACKED ACCURACY": ALONSO PINPOINTS WHY REAL MADRID DROPPED POINTS
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso blamed a lack of accuracy for the 1-1 draw, stressing the need for better attacking play. He insists the title race is still wide open.
After Sunday's 1-1 draw against Girona, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso spoke to the media. When asked about their chances to win the title this season, he said, The second half was better; we pushed harder and made more chances. We could have won, but our aim wasn't right. Not winning isn't good, but we're still in it. It's a long season, and we have to keep at it.
About what the team needs, Alonso said, A season has ups and downs. We were steady at the start, but things have changed lately. Today, the second half was much better than the first, and we came back. The team wanted to get past the 1-0 score. But we didn't finish well, as we had three or four clear shots in the box to score a second goal and win. We need to keep up the standards of playing for Real Madrid. This is a long season.
When asked about complaints about the players’ moods, Alonso said, No, I don't have any. I liked the reaction today; it wasn’t enough, but we almost made it. We have to stick together, and we need to be honest with ourselves. We want to win when we play away from home. We have a chance in Bilbao on Wednesday, so we’ll see what happens.
On playing attacking football, Alonso said, “We couldn’t play good, attacking football and be in charge. We did much better in the second half. That’s what we want. We need to work out why we didn’t do it and try to start strong or keep that level we had in the second half. I said the same at the press conference the other day, and things are still the same today.”
Talking about Athletic Club, Alonso mentioned, “It’s another chance to win away from home. It's going to be a long season, and the standings will be close, so the points matter. Things will switch back and forth a lot. We’re playing for three points, so yes, Bilbao is a good time to win. We need it and want it. After today, we’ll see how we can play better.
Lastly, on the Rodrygo incident, Alonso commented, “I didn’t see it, but I heard about a VAR review because of the contact. That's odd, but we'll have to take a look. Those moments can change the whole game.”
AMORIM'S DREAM: MAN UTD TARGETS FEDERICO VALVERDE TO BREAK TRANSFER RECORD
Federico Valverde is considering leaving Real Madrid due to a rift with Xabi Alonso. Man Utd, led by admirer Ruben Amorim, is monitoring the situation but faces a £100M valuation challenge.
Manchester United is thinking about making a surprising move for Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde. A new report explains why this big transfer might be more possible than you think.
The Red Devils plan to bring in at least one new central midfielder in 2026, and they could even get two or three if things go their way. They are looking at Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba, and Elliot Anderson. Joao Gomes and Conor Gallagher are also options, but not their main focus.
Some reports in Spain say that Man Utd might look to Real Madrid for Valverde.
Valverde, 27, is a key player for Real and has been seen as a future captain. But the Uruguay international is said to be among the players who are not happy with the new manager, Xabi Alonso.
A surprising report from The Mirror says that Valverde could end up at Old Trafford.
Their headline says: Real Madrid star to consider Manchester United transfer after Xabi Alonso bust-up. The star they are talking about is Valverde.
The report adds that Manchester United and Real Madrid could be in a fight over Federico Valverde. Real superstar Valverde has become a target for United.
Valverde's future at Real is uncertain after a disagreement with manager Xabi Alonso. The Uruguayan international is one of several Real players who are unhappy with Alonso's management.
Valverde's contract lasts until 2029, but he is thinking about leaving if his relationship with Alonso doesn't get better. United is one of the clubs watching the situation closely.
Ruben Amorim really likes Valverde and would want him at Old Trafford. But Real has made it clear that if Valverde wants to leave, he will cost £100m.
United thinks Valverde is worth closer to £70m, so the two clubs have very different ideas about his value.
Man Utd's most expensive purchase is still Paul Pogba at £89.3m. If they buy Valverde for a price closer to what Real Madrid wants, it would be a new transfer record for United.