Real Madrid manager, Xabi Alonso, is set for an emotional return to Anfield on Tuesday when his side take on Liverpool in the Champions League, marking his first visit as a coach after a near-flawless start to his tenure in Spain.
While Liverpool have managed just two wins in their last eight games, Alonso’s Madrid arrive in red-hot form, rejuvenated under the Basque tactician and showing weekly improvement.
The 15-time European champions come off a resounding La Liga victory over Barcelona and are eager to assert themselves again against Arne Slot’s struggling Reds.
Madrid’s only defeat this season was a 5-2 derby drubbing by Atletico Madrid, but Alonso’s team has since evolved rapidly.
Many Liverpool fans had hoped to see the Spaniard return to Merseyside as their manager following Jurgen Klopp’s departure at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
A midfield orchestrator during his playing days, Alonso was pivotal in Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League triumph in Istanbul and their FA Cup success before joining Real Madrid in 2009.
After delaying his move from Bayer Leverkusen by a year, he replaced Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu following a trophyless season.
Alonso has made an immediate impact, Madrid have won 13 of their 14 games this term. Where Ancelotti struggled to instill pressing discipline in his star-studded attack, Alonso’s men now play with intensity and defensive organization.
“To win trophies you have to defend well, obtaining many clean sheets,” said Alonso after Madrid secured their seventh shutout of the campaign in a 4-0 thrashing of Valencia.
According to Marca, Madrid have “forged a new identity” and now “dominate, suffocate and subdue their opponents,” a transformation from the complacency seen under Ancelotti.
The Italian had often fielded Rodrygo alongside Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham, leaving the team top-heavy. Alonso, in contrast, has balanced his attack and no side in Europe now wins back the ball in the final third more often than Madrid.
The Spaniard’s tactical adaptability has also drawn praise. Unlike his predecessor, Alonso is unafraid to tweak systems mid-game or between fixtures.
Ahead of the Liverpool clash, he opted for a private training session in Spain to avoid scrutiny.
“It’s my decision (not to train at Anfield), we prefer to do it at home, in our space, so they don’t put 200 cameras on us,” Alonso explained.
Under his guidance, Madrid’s key players are thriving with only one notable flashpoint. Vinicius Junior’s visible frustration during the Clasico led to an apology from the Brazilian, though he omitted his coach in the statement.
Alonso has since drawn a line under the issue, and Vinicius responded with a strong display against Valencia despite a missed penalty.
Kylian Mbappe has rediscovered his sharpness, combining goals with defensive effort.
The French forward, who missed a penalty in last season’s defeat at Anfield, has already netted 18 goals across competitions and embraced Alonso’s demand for greater pressing.
England star Jude Bellingham has also flourished, scoring crucial goals against Barcelona, Juventus, and Valencia in recent weeks.
After returning prematurely from shoulder surgery and faltering in the Atletico loss, Alonso wisely eased him back to full form.
Another emerging talent is Turkish midfielder Arda Guler, whom Alonso is grooming as a long-term replacement for departing legends Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Now, as Alonso prepares to step back onto the Anfield turf, he aims to spoil Liverpool’s night and prove his revitalized Madrid are once again contenders for Europe’s biggest prize.
