Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso reacts to Lamine Yamal comments | OneFootball

The build-up to Sunday’s El Clasico showdown between Real Madrid and Barcelona has been dominated by Lamine Yamal – more specifically, by comments that the 18-year-old made regarding Los Blancos.

Lamine Yamal has claimed that Real Madrid “rob teams”, which has caused fury among their players. Understandably, Xabi Alonso was asked about the matter during his pre-match press conference, although he refused to delve much into it, as per Diario AS.

“I’m not getting into it. There are many statements from the people of Barcelona and I cannot go into assessing them all. For us, the important thing is what happens on the pitch. Where we come from and what we have ahead of us. And how we want to play tomorrow’s game. That is what worries me the most and what we have been working on.”

Image via David Ramos/Getty Images

Alonso looks ahead to El Clasico debut

Sunday’s match will be Alonso’s first taste of El Clasico as a manager. He expressed his excitement for the occasion, which he expects to be fierce.

“El Clásico is special. It’s the first of this project. We need the stadium to have the energy of big games, to push us. It has many ingredients for us to play well. So we can enjoy it. And that is what excites us the most, it’s the greatest incentive for tomorrow.

“What I have in mind is that it is going to be an intense and hard-fought match. We have to be prepared because there will be times for everything. Players have to have the necessary adrenaline. I don’t think about other consequences.”

Alonso also admitted that he has practically decided who will be in his starting line-up at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“I have it in my head. We have recovered almost all the players who could not play against Juventus.”