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OPINION: WHY XABI ALONSO IS MAKING A MISTAKE IGNORING STRIKER GONZALO GARCIA NOW
From Gonzalo Garcia’s clinical finishing to a Bellingham false nine, discover how Real Madrid will survive Mbappe’s muscle injury.
So, earlier this week, news dropped: Kylian Mbappe is out for three weeks. That’s a big blow for Real Madrid, especially with so many important games lined up in January.
Honestly, this whole situation didn’t have to happen. Mbappe skipped the Manchester City match, but then he played a full 90 minutes against a third-division team in the Copa del Rey just six days later. In between, he went the distance against Alaves. And then—another full match with Sevilla. It’s not hard to see how this could catch up with anyone.
You’d think this would be the perfect moment to have a Brazilian international striker available. But of course, Madrid just loaned him out to Lyon in Ligue 1. So, Xabi Alonso’s got some thinking to do. He’s got to figure out how to keep things rolling without his superstar.
So, what now? What should Real Madrid actually do without Mbappe?
First idea: play a real number nine—Gonzalo Garcia. In a recent chat with Diario AS, a former Real Madrid striker pointed out the obvious: the team misses having a classic centre-forward. Garcia could be that guy. He showed what he can do at the Club World Cup, bagging four goals and an assist. He connected really well with Vinicius, especially in games against Al Hilal and Juventus. That was the first time since Benzema left that Vinicius had a real target man to play off consistently.
People talk a lot about Endrick not getting minutes, but let’s be real—Garcia hasn’t had much of a shot either. He’s only played 365 minutes this season, which is barely over four games’ worth. Alonso should be thinking about giving him more time.
There’s also the option of going back to what worked in 23/24: the hybrid front three with Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo. For most of that season, Bellingham played as a number ten, with Vinicius and Rodrygo splitting striker duties in a diamond setup. Sometimes Bellingham shifted into a false nine role, with the Brazilians pushing wide and delivering balls into the box. The whole thing was super fluid, and it worked—both for the team and for the players themselves.
Sure, Alonso wasn’t in charge back then, and Mbappe wasn’t at the club. But you can bet Alonso knows how well that system performed. It’s got to be on his mind right now.
Then there’s the long shot: shifting Vinicius to a central position. Even though he’s been a left winger since Mbappe showed up, he’s drifted inside plenty of times. Under Ancelotti, he played more centrally, too, so maybe that’s an option over the next few weeks.
If Vinicius plays in the middle, Rodrygo can take his favoured spot on the left—even though he’s been doing well on the right lately. With Brahim Diaz away at AFCON, Franco Mastantuono could slot in on the right.
Or, you could flip it: Rodrygo has played as a central striker for club and country before. Move him to the middle, Vinicius on the left, and see what happens.
If you’re ranking options for Madrid right now, here’s how it shakes out: 1) Garcia up front, 2) Bellingham as a false nine with split strikers, 3) Vinicius as a false nine, 4) Rodrygo as a false nine.
HISTORY BECKONS: CAN DANI CARVAJAL FINALLY EQUAL LUKA MODRIC’S LEGENDARY TROPHY HAUL THIS SUNDAY?
Dani Carvajal previews the Supercup final in Jeddah. Will Mbappe be fit? Plus, the captain’s quest to match Modric’s trophy haul.
On Sunday, Real Madrid gets another shot at a trophy—it’s been over a year since their last one—and who’s standing in their way? Of course, it’s Barcelona, in the Spanish Supercup final. Xabi Alonso’s team aren’t the favourite, but honestly, they’re itching to settle the score after that 5-2 loss to the Catalans in last year’s final.
Before the big game, Real Madrid’s captain, Dani Carvajal, talked to the press. Diario AS caught some of his thoughts, especially about what this final means to him personally.
“Tomorrow’s huge for us. We really want this title. For me, it’s also a chance to catch up with Luka Modric as the player with the most titles in the club’s history.”
Carvajal also mentioned he’s hoping Kylian Mbappe recovers in time to play in Jeddah after that minor knee knock.
“Kylian’s massive for us. He’s the best striker in the world, and I really hope he makes it, because he can change everything out there.”
It’s been a rough first half of the season for Madrid, but things have started to pick up lately. Carvajal wants to keep that momentum going and trusts his manager to guide them through.
“We weren’t at our best late last year. We had so many injuries. The Christmas break helped all of us, honestly. I see Xabi calm and focused. Sure, when results don’t come, there’s always noise. But we’re ready to fight for him.”
About his run-in with Atletico’s Diego Simeone during Thursday’s semi-final, Carvajal didn’t make a big deal of it.
“We respect each other. We both fight for our clubs, that’s all. We shared our views and moved on. Now it’s all about tomorrow and going for the title. End of story.”
And then there’s the question about his contract, which only has six months left.
“I’ve been through a lot, especially after that serious injury. Right now, I just want to train and enjoy playing. The club and I are on the same page. I need to keep playing and show what I can do out there. If we both agree, there’s no problem at all.”
"THEY’RE GOING TO KICK YOU OUT"—DIEGO SIMEONE’S SHOCKING WORDS TO VINICIUS JUNIOR REVEALED
Xabi Alonso’s Madrid edge Atletico in a heated derby. Discover what Simeone said to Vinicius and why Alonso refused to shake hands.
Vinicius Junior and Diego Simeone went head-to-head in a fierce shouting match as Real Madrid edged past Atletico Madrid to book a spot in the Spanish Super Cup final.
The game kicked off with a bang—Federico Valverde blasted in a stunning free kick just two minutes after the whistle. That set the tone for a semi-final that was thrilling and, honestly, pretty heated in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
After halftime, Valverde turned playmaker. He slipped the ball to Rodrygo, who coolly slid it past Jan Oblak to double Madrid’s lead. But Atletico refused to roll over. Alexander Sorloth pulled one back for them almost immediately, setting up a tense finish. Still, Xabi Alonso’s team held their ground and saw out a 2-1 win, setting up a Clasico showdown with Barcelona in the final.
This wasn’t just any derby. Both teams went at each other from the first minute to the last, and tempers flared more than once. The biggest flashpoint came in the first half, when Vinicius and Simeone nearly got physical on the touchline. Cameras caught both men yelling and waving their arms at each other. Fans couldn’t hear the words, but the venom was obvious.
Later, Spanish TV channel Movistar picked up Simeone’s side of the argument. He didn’t hold back, taunting Vinicius: “Florentino Perez is going to kick you out, remember that! They’re going to kick you out; remember what I’m telling you.”
Things boiled over again late on, right after Vinicius left the pitch for Arda Guler. Suddenly, both benches emptied as players and staff clashed in front of the dugouts. Simeone seemed to spark it, yelling “Listen to the people!” at Vinicius and pointing toward the boos echoing around King Abdullah Sport City Stadium.
All of this came as rumours swirled about Vinicius’ future at Madrid. He hasn’t scored in his last 15 matches, and stories keep popping up about a move to Chelsea or even Saudi Arabia. You can tell he’s unsettled.
After the final whistle, Alonso didn’t even bother shaking Simeone’s hand. In his press conference, he called out Simeone for crossing the line. “I heard what Simeone said to Vini, and I didn’t like it,” Alonso told reporters. “You can’t talk like that; some things go too far.”
Before the game, Jude Bellingham backed his teammate. Vinicius has been dealing with whistles from his own fans during a rough patch in front of the goal. Bellingham said, “I can only speak from my perspective. Vinicius is under a huge amount of pressure, and everything he does on the pitch comes from pure emotion. People forget he’s human. I think that’s why he’s struggled in front of the goal. For me, he’s electric—he can create something out of nothing. Goals aren’t the whole story. He’s set up a lot, but yeah, he must find his best form again. You’ve got to look at the whole picture.”
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