Huijsen talks Vinicius, Mbappe, Militao, Xabi Alonso ahead of Liverpool vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid will square off against Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday night in Matchweek 4 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.

Los Blancos are one of five teams to have maintained a 100% winning record in the competition after three matches, having beaten Olympique Marseille, Kairat Almaty, and Juventus.

But, tomorrow’s game will be their toughest test so far in Europe under new manager Xabi Alonso.

Ahead of the game, Los Blancos’ new signing, Dean Huijsen, accompanied the manager for the pre-match press conference, discussing various topics, including his teammate Vinicius Jr. and the recent controversy involving him.

Kicking things off, though, Huijsen spoke about the game against Liverpool and Real Madrid’s hopes from the game, saying:

“We are really looking forward to it, we hope to take the three points and do our best.”

Discussing his time so far at Real Madrid and how he has been coping with the pressure that comes with playing for Los Blancos, the 20-year-old defender remarked:

“Mentally I’m very well, very happy to be here… I hope to bring a lot of joy to Real Madrid fans.”

Talking about his time in Italy, where he played for Juventus and AS Roma, the Spaniard stated:

“In Italy, what I learned was how to defend well. Very grateful to Juve and Roma. Letting me go easily was their decision. I had a great time at both clubs.”

Excelling at Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Huijsen has forged an excellent defensive partnership with Real Madrid ace Eder Militao, who has been top-notch this season. Talking about the Brazilian, the young defender noted:

“He’s a very complete centre-back and off the pitch he’s also a very good person. We get along very well.”

From one Brazilian to another, Huijsen then addressed Vinicius’ outburst at Alonso after his Clasico substitution and the subsequent public apology, saying:

“To tell you the truth, the press has written a lot and you’ve made a big deal out of something that wasn’t that big of a deal. He apologised, that’s all. These things happen in football.”

On Alonso’s decision to have his players train at Valdebebas before flying to Liverpool, rather than training at Anfield, Huijsen remarked:

“I’ve already played here, but it won’t be a problem for me because it’s just a football pitch. I prefer to train at our training ground.”

Commenting on the form of Kylian Mbappe and whether he thought the Frenchman was playing better than he did last season, Huijsen stated:

“Last year I wasn’t here, so I’ve been watching Madrid’s matches, but not all of them. He’s a player who won the Golden Boot, which is not something you do when you’re in poor form. We’re very happy with him.”

Concluding, Huijsen touched upon his ability to distribute the ball from the back, something that manager Alonso asks of him in the current system, as he said:

“I think I’m good at ball distribution and I try to help the team wherever I can. Xabi also asks me to do that and more.”

Source: MARCA