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TALAVERA GOALIE JAIME GONZALEZ SLAMS XABI ALONSO TACTICS AFTER DRAMATIC REAL MADRID WIN
Real Madrid survives a 3-2 thriller against Talavera. Goalie Jaime Gonzalez rips Xabi Alonso for stalling in the second half.
Talavera goalie Jaime González ripped into Real Madrid after Wednesday's Copa del Rey game. He couldn't believe the tactics Xabi Alonso's team had to use to barely avoid a huge upset.
Jaime was pretty bold for a goalie who just let in three goals. The last one was a real embarrassment—Mbappé's shot bounced weirdly off the turf and went right through his gloves. Real Madrid did win 3–2 to go to the next round, but only after their goalie, Andriy Lunin, made a great save at the last second to stop Talavera from tying the game.
In the first half, Madrid was all over Talavera at their small stadium, letting them get only one shot on goal while bombarding Jaime with shots. Mbappé scored first with a penalty in the 41st minute, then forced another goal right before halftime when his pass bounced off a defender and into the net.
But the second half was totally different.
Real Madrid just started kicking the ball downfield, sitting back, and stalling, Jaime complained, calling Alonso's plan unbelievable.
In the last 45 minutes, Talavera—who are struggling in the third division—had more shots and a better chance of scoring than Real Madrid. Nahuel Arroyo scored in the 80th minute, making everyone nervous, before Mbappé's lucky shot got past Jaime.
"It was a bad bounce, and I couldn't reach it," he said, smiling as he mentioned that Jude Bellingham and Mbappé had apologised to him afterwards.
Talavera kept fighting. With the crowd chanting his name, Gonzalo Di Renzo scored after Isiah Navarro's free kick hit the crossbar. Navarro almost scored again in stoppage time, but Lunin barely saved it, saving Real Madrid from further embarrassment. But Xabi Alonso wasn't worried.
Even though they lost to Manchester City recently, beating Alavés seems to have kept Alonso from being fired as Real Madrid's coach. That 2–1 win wasn't much better than this week's close cup game, but Alonso is only thinking about winning right now.
"The goal was to advance, so I'm happy," he told reporters. These things happen in the Copa; it happened to other teams as well.
They put us under pressure, and Talavera got really into it with their fans behind them. We controlled the first half well and scored, but not making it 0–3 kept the game close.
The second half was tough. We wanted that third goal and had chances, but couldn't score. It was an exciting cup tie. It’s a special competition. We did what we needed to do; now onto the next one.”
It's unclear when Alonso will decide that his goal is to easily beat third-division teams without needing luck. For now, he's focused on beating Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday, no matter how they do it.
WHY AC MILAN ARE TURNING TO REAL MADRID’S BACKUP ANDRIY LUNIN TO REPLACE MIKE MAIGNAN
AC Milan is preparing a €15M bid for Andriy Lunin. Discover why the Real Madrid keeper is now the favourite to take over at San Siro.
AC Milan might go after Andriy Lunin from Real Madrid this summer, according to Defensa Central. Apparently, Milan is having trouble getting Mike Maignan to sign a new contract.
So, Lunin is high on their list as a possible replacement. He did sign a deal to stay with Real Madrid until 2030, but Milan is still watching him while things with Maignan are up in the air.
Reportedly, Milan gave Maignan a final offer of €7 million per season, but he's not sure about it. Because of this, the club is now scouting for other options.
If Maignan leaves, Milan's bosses plan to offer between €10 million and €15 million for Lunin. They think that's a fair price for a keeper with his experience.
Real Madrid usually doesn't do winter transfers. The club has already said they won't sell anyone in January, except for loaning Endrick to Lyon. So, they won't even think about a deal for Lunin until the season is over.
Lunin turned down offers from Turkish clubs last summer to compete for his spot at Real Madrid. The chance to start every week at Milan could change his mind. At 26, he's currently Courtois' backup. A move in 2026 could give him the playing time he wants. Manchester United was also interested in Lunin last summer, so there'll be plenty of teams after him.
Why Real Madrid Should Ask for More or Keep Lunin
Lunin showed what he's capable of when he filled in for Courtois. He has the skills to play at the highest level. He saved Real Madrid many times, including in important Champions League games. Because of his input, his value has increased.
The rumoured price of €10 million to €15 million seems too low. Lunin was key to Real Madrid's defence for most of the 2023/24 season. Real Madrid should ask for way more if they decide to sell. If not, they should keep him as a backup in case Courtois gets hurt again.
Selling him for that little would be a mistake. It’s almost impossible to find another backup as good as him for that price these days. It's hard to keep a keeper who wants to be the number one, but Xabi Alonso thinks having a deep squad is very important.
Real Madrid needs to think about the money versus the risk on the field. Letting a talent like Lunin go for cheap would be a bad move. Madrid should keep him unless Milan makes a much better offer. Having two top-notch goalkeepers creates a sense of security that money can't often buy.
MARKET REPORT: WHY CHELSEA IS SUDDENLY THE FAVORITE TO RESIGN ANTONIO RüDIGER
Antonio Rüdiger is considering a shock return to Chelsea as Real Madrid pause contract talks. Read why Xabi Alonso is hesitant.
Word on the street is that Antonio Rudiger might head back to Chelsea. The Real Madrid player is thinking about coming back to the Premier League. His deal with Real Madrid runs out in 2026, and he hasn't agreed to a new one yet. There's talk he might leave next summer and maybe even team up with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.
Contract Talks On Hold
Back in November, Marca said that Rudiger and Real Madrid started talking about a new contract, but those talks are on pause now. His current contract is up at the end of the season. They started talking months ago, threw some numbers around, and both sides seemed to want a deal.
But they stopped talking after Rudiger hurt his muscle in September. They decided it wasn't right to make a deal while he was getting better.
Back to Chelsea?
Rudiger played for Chelsea for five years, winning a Champions League title, before moving to Real Madrid in 2022. Now, he might go back to Chelsea. There are rumours that Chelsea wants him back next summer, according to Diario AS.
Also, Paris Saint-Germain is interested, and Galatasaray is watching what's happening with him in Madrid.
Besides Europe, he's also wanted in Saudi Arabia. Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal are thinking about trying to get him next year.
What Alonso Thinks
BILD said in October that Xabi Alonso, the Madrid boss, isn't totally sold on Rudiger. He thinks Rudiger has been getting injured too much and hasn't been playing consistently. Also, Dean Huijsen, who joined in the summer, has been playing great and has already won a starting spot. Huijsen and Eder Militao have been a solid pair in the back, but Militao got hurt recently.
Madrid Might Not Sign Two Defenders
Even with Rudiger's future up in the air, AS says that Madrid isn't looking to sign two defenders anymore. They were looking at Ibrahima Konate from Liverpool and Dayot Upamecano from Bayern Munich. Both of those guys might leave their clubs since they're in the last six months of their contracts.
There were reports that Real Madrid wasn't interested in Konate because he hadn't been playing well lately. They might still move next summer, but it probably won't be to Real Madrid.
Alonso's team plays Real Betis at home on January 4 after the winter break.
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