Xabi Alonso kicks off at Real Madrid with rock-solid defence

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OneFootball

·2. September 2025

Xabi Alonso kicks off at Real Madrid with rock-solid defence

Xabi Alonso barely took over the helm at Real Madrid and has already shown strength in the defensive sector.

In his first three LaLiga games, the Merengue team only allowed 17 shots from rivals. It's the lowest number since 2008, when Pep Guardiola, at the beginning of his work with Barcelona, had only suffered 12 shots.

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What does this data from Opta show? That Real is compact, well organized, and hard to attack. Alonso managed in a short time to reduce spaces and give security to the team.

Could this promising start repeat Guardiola's story in 2008? The Madridista fan has good reasons to be excited.

17 - Xabi Alonso solo ha recibido 17 remates en sus tres partidos como técnico del @realmadrid en LaLiga, el registro más bajo de un entrenador tras sus tres primeros encuentros en la competición desde Josep Guardiola con el FC Barcelona en 2008 (12). Ilusionante.
– Dienstag, 2. September 2025