Challenges Await Xabi Alonso as He Takes Charge at Real Madrid
With Xabi Alonso set to take the helm at Real Madrid, a significant challenge has already presented itself: getting Kylian Mbappé to contribute defensively. The French sensation, who made the move to Madrid last season, has been under scrutiny from the Spanish media for his lack of defensive work rate—a criticism that has followed him from his time at PSG and with the French national team.
While previous coaches like Luis Enrique have called on Mbappé to lead by example defensively, Carlo Ancelotti took a different approach, emphasizing Mbappé’s primary role as a goal scorer. Despite his impressive goal-scoring record of 38 goals and 4 assists in 52 matches last season, questions remain about Mbappé’s overall impact on the team’s defensive shape.
Now, Xabi Alonso is faced with the task of addressing this issue where others have fallen short. Reports from Cadena SER suggest that Alonso’s main focus is on restoring tactical balance and defensive unity to the team, starting with demanding more defensive effort from Mbappé and Vinicius Jr.
Spanish pundits believe that Mbappé has the potential to improve in this aspect of his game, and Alonso’s tactical approach, which may involve a flexible 3-4-3 formation, will require his attacking stars to contribute more defensively. Journalist Manu Carreño has cautioned that both Luis Enrique and Ancelotti were unsuccessful in this regard, underscoring the challenge that Alonso faces in instilling defensive discipline in his star players.
