Alonso talks Asencio, Rudiger, Courtois, Mbappe, Valverde after Real Madrid 3-1 Pachuca | OneFootball

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso was full of praise for his team’s determination after they managed to secure a crucial win over Pachuca, despite going down to 10 men just seven minutes into the match.

Raul Asencio was shown a red card early on, but that did not stop Los Blancos from battling through and earning Alonso his first victory in charge.

Speaking after the match, Alonso said, “It was a very important win considering our position in the group.

“Playing almost the whole game with one man less is never easy. The team showed great maturity, understood the situation well, and I’m very proud of how they handled it.”

Alonso also reflected on Asencio’s red card, saying the defender was clearly upset. “Asencio is disappointed. It’s a situation that changed everything.

“Honestly, in those moments, it’s sometimes better to let the striker score and stay with eleven players than go a man down. These are lessons we have to learn from.”

On Rudiger, Courtois and Mbappe

The game also saw some troubling scenes, as defender Antonio Rudiger was the target of racist abuse.

Real Madrid scored three goals against Pachuca. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

“Toni spoke to us, the FIFA protocol was triggered, and there’s an investigation underway. We trust him. This kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable,” Alonso stated firmly.

When asked about his tactical decisions after the early red card, Alonso explained the changes.

“We knew we had to defend deep. The plan had to be reshaped. We relied on players like Courtois, who made ten key saves, and Güler, who helped us stay compact.”

The coach also gave updates on a few key players. On Kylian Mbappe’s return, he said, “We’ll have to wait and see how he feels. Hopefully, he’ll be ready for Salzburg.”

Alonso also praised Federico Valverde’s work rate: “He reminds me of Steven Gerrard. His energy, his shot, his ability to play everywhere… he’s the kind of player every coach dreams of.”

About Luka Modric, he said, “It’s emotional to watch him now. He’s a legend. Even rival fans respect him. He had another great game.”

Finally, Alonso revealed the thinking behind his in-game tactical shifts. “After the first water break, we put Vinicius in the centre, Gonzalo on the left, and used Fran and Trent wide.

“We wanted to open up their defence and create chances even with ten men. There were definitely some positives to take away,” he concluded.

Source: AS