‘The hours before were very productive’ – Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso reacts to Olympiakos win | OneFootball

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has suggested that the union between him and his players has grown closer after a dramatic 4-3 win over Olympiakos. It was Los Blancos first ever win in Greece, and Alonso was very much in need of the win to snap a three-game winless streak, but also ease talk of a broken dressing room.

Despite struggling to control the game throughout, and finding it impossible to shut down Olympiakos at the back, Alonso’s side did deliver their best offensive performance of the season. Mbappe’s four goals were the headline, but Vinicius Junior also showed his best form of the season.

“The hours beforehand have been very positive and productive; they have helped us to continue growing, to cope with difficult moments, and I found the unity of the players to be very positive,” Alonso told Diario AS.

“They’ve been very positive, very productive. They’ve helped us to keep growing, to try and break the cycle, which we’ve managed to do. And to learn how to cope with difficult moments. Very positive. Like the things we’ve talked about, the unity the players have, their commitment… and this is the only way. Besides the three points, I’m left with positive things that have happened behind the scenes.”

Alonso responds to lack of control and defensive issues

Even if the result was a positive for Real Madrid, and the offensive output, the Basque manager will have been aware that criticism of their game management was coming. The first question was about Real Madrid’s lack of control in the game.

“First, I want to emphasize the most important thing: the three points. They’re vital not only for the standings but also for breaking our three-game winless streak. We weren’t feeling good. The game had all sorts of moments. We came out strong and went 1-0 up in the 8th minute, I think. But we stayed calm, confident, and mature enough not to lose our heads. And we were able to turn the result around comfortably.”

Image via Stephane Mahe / Reuters

“In the second half, there were all sorts of moments. They pressed hard, and we needed to adjust a bit, like maintain possession for longer periods. But the game is over now, and I’ll take away the three points (smiles). And now we have to focus on the league.”

It was also put to Alonso that Real Madrid conceded 19 shots, more than the 13 they had, while Olympiakos also had more shots on goal (8) than Los Blancos (5).

“We obviously need to improve a little in everything. In holding firm when the opponent is pushing forward, in being strong, in staying together. But there were moments in the first half when we did really well; and we have to focus on that. Because when we didn’t… we’ll improve.”

“We need that defensive solidity, combined with the finishing we showed today. We’d been coming off matches where we were struggling to score… and then, Vini’s disallowed goal was a real shame. But today was about winning. We did it, we broke that streak a little. And now we want to do the same in the league.”

Image via Agencias

A point of inflection for Real Madrid?

After a barren run, in which Real Madrid managed just two goals, both coming from set pieces in that three-game run, they exhibited some of their talent again. Despite the communion between him and his players before the match, and the result, Alonso was not yet willing to call it a turning point.

“We’ll see. Time will tell. We had a good feeling… and we shared some things. Regarding the match, we came here to do what we wanted, in a complicated context, with injuries and what happened during the game. And we’ll take that away from it. This is football, and we have to think about the next one. Now we have a visit to Girona, then we go to Bilbao… the schedule, exceptionally, I don’t know if we’ll play five or six games away from home. It’s something that doesn’t happen very often. But we’re going to face it.”

A weight of Alonso’s shoulders?

The Bsaque manager also assured that on a personal level, he was handling things just fine.

“No, no, no. I was handling it much more calmly than you might expect. I’m no novice at this, and I know the road is long. And that it’s not always a bed of roses. You have to know how to navigate difficult twists and turns without losing your mind. You have to be critical, demanding of yourself, and acknowledge your mistakes; but also know that there’s always another game. And that you always have to look ahead.”