Alonso talks Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham, Trent, Mastantuono, Mendy ahead of Girona vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid are back in La Liga action this Sunday night as they take on Girona away at Estadi Montilivi, aiming to return to winning ways in the league.

The Merengues have been held to draws in their previous two La Liga games against Rayo Vallecano and Elche, which has allowed Barcelona to close the gap to the top.

With the Catalans set to play later today, they could even overtake Xabi Alonso & Co., given that they are only one point behind.

Ahead of the trip to Montilivi, Alonso appeared in front of the media, where he discussed the team’s form and hoped that they can build on the midweek win over Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League.

“We know it’s another away game after the last Champions League match in Athens; in the league we need to win away from home with a very tight schedule, we need a good game and a good victory,” said Alonso to kick things off.

The Real Madrid boss was then asked about the controversy surrounding the goals they scored in the 2-2 draw vs Elche, with Barcelona president Joan Laporta claiming that those goals should not have stood.

“There are populist messages; let’s focus on our own, winning in a sporting and deserved way, every match is a test for that,” said Alonso, trying to not get dragged into controversy.

Regarding the performance the team and the lack of consistency that has plagued them, Alonso noted:

“We’ve had some good spells of play, we need that dominance, control, continuity, consistency, which we’ve been improving on, especially defensively.”

“I’m not happy with some things, especially the goals conceded in the last few games; we’re still a work in progress,” he added.

Providing an update on the squad, Alonso confirmed Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and Franco Mastantuono are back, while hoping that Raul Asencio could still make the trip after not training today due to illness.

“We have indeed recovered Rudiger and Militao, we hope Asencio can be included in the squad, Dean not yet and Franco is also included in the squad,” he said.

Mastantuono is back. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Further discussing Mastantuono and his pubalgia issue, the manager added: “He’s better, he’s training without discomfort or pain, and he’s training at that pace. We decided to stop because he was playing through pain, but he’s recovered now.”

Regarding Jude Bellingham, who did not start against Olympiacos due to overload, Alonso remarked:

“Jude has that desire to learn, to be more efficient, those players who have that initiative, who fit into different profiles… you have to know what’s going on around him.”

Talking about Bellingham’s compatriot, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and whether his performances so far have met expectations, Alonso said:

“We need Trent, it’s his first year and this adjustment is normal; he’s also demanding and we have to support him in this change that is so big for him.”

On Ferland Mendy’s return vs Olympiacos and his solid performance on the night, the manager acknowledged:

“He left a good impression on me. It’s the first match we’ve played with him. We didn’t know what level he’d be at in the competition, and he did very well.

“He’s a great defender and gives you a lot of security at the back. Coming back and feeling like this is great news.”

Concluding, Alonso touched upon the partnership between Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr., which showed signs of flourishing in the midweek win, saying:

“They’re very good at that, but they’ve done it in other matches too. That connection, quality, and how well they get along is noticeable on the field; it was a shame Vini couldn’t score a goal.”

Source: AS