Alonso talks Vinicius, Bellingham, Carreras, Camavinga, Ballon d’Or ahead of Levante vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

After six wins in six games in all competitions, Real Madrid will be gunning to keep their record intact when they take on UD Levante on Tuesday night in La Liga.

The fixture, set to be played at the Ciutat de Valencia will provide Los Blancos to extend their lead at the top of the table to five points, given second-placed Barcelona will not be in action until Thursday.

Levante, though, will pose a challenge, having held Real Betis to a 2-2 draw and then beat Girona 4-0 in their last two fixtures. The newly-promoted La Liga club also tested Barcelona seriously earlier this season, even though they lost 2-3 at home.

Ahead of the game, Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso addressed the media in his press conference, discussing various matters, including the Ballon d’Or gala set to take place later today.

Xabi Alonso’s press conference

Kicking things off, the Real Madrid head coach discussed tomorrow’s game and what he expects against Levante, saying:

“Any outing is difficult, and they’re competitive, as is their coach. Tomorrow we’ll have to do many things well: play with quality, pace, and focus.”

Alonso was then asked about the Ballon d’Or ceremony and if he felt it would be a surprise if Ousmane Dembele of PSG did not win it.

In response, the Real Madrid boss said: “We’ll see… it’s not my topic. I’m not part of the jury. I haven’t given this much thought; I only think about Levante.”

Moving back to his players and the team, and whether they are on the track he wanted them on, Alonso noted:

“We’re doing better, but we’re still in the process of building. We played a solid, solid game the other day. And that tells us about the good things we’re doing.

“We’ve only been here for a short time, almost nothing… and we must have more ambition. Be hungry. We want a lot of points, and to do that, we must win a lot of games.”

Talking about Vinicius’ angry reaction to being substituted in the previous game against Espanyol, Alonso remarked:

“I was a player, and when they substituted me… it wasn’t the best time. I took it normally, naturally. I don’t make a big deal out of it.”

Xabi Alonso insists Vinicius will be an important player for him. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

On being asked whether he had spoken to the Brazilian, Alonso did not give a straight answer and instead said:

“The other day, everyone was happy… with the win and the feeling. And that’s what we need: to be a team. Everyone understands the role we want for the team, that we have to contribute.”

When asked what Vinicius must do to get more minutes, Alonso said: “I’m happy with what he’s doing, and we’re just getting started. There’s still a long way to go, and he should feel important.”

There was some praise for new signing Alvaro Carreras and the way he has started the season upon arriving from SL Benfica.

“I was optimistic, but his personality and competitiveness have pleasantly surprised me. He makes very few mistakes and has a great mentality. It’s surprising how quickly he’s impacted that position,” said Alonso.

“We also have Fran and Ferland for that position. But his performance has been excellent.”

Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga made their first appearances of the season, coming on as late subs vs Espanyol. But, Alonso admitted that the pair is ready to start, saying: “They could [start], yes. They’ve already trained more.”

On what he expects from Camavinga, the former midfielder turned manager remarked:

“I’m a bit cautious about him because he’s only been here a short time. I know him from watching him, from how he interprets the game. He has enormous potential, a lot of qualities, and there’s a place for him within the project. He’s eager, he’s willing.”

Despite the talks of rotations, Alonso has had the trio of Alvaro Carreras, Kylian Mbappe, and Aurelien Tchouameni in each of the six games so far. Explaining that, he said:

“They’re important, and we’ve only played six games. There’ll be a time for everything, and they’ll be part of the rotation. Don’t ask me when… but they will. So far, it’s been a short period. We’ll see with more time.”

Source: AS