How Xabi Alonso’s first six months compare with Real Madrid predecessors | OneFootball

When Xabi Alonso was officially appointed as the new manager of Real Madrid, the decision was seen as emotional and symbolic. 

A former midfield general who understood the club’s DNA better than most, Alonso signed a three-year deal and took over from Carlo Ancelotti, a coach who had left behind a legacy filled with trophies and calm authority. 

Now, expectations were always going to be unforgiving. However, as of today, although his reign has been steady on paper, it has been far more turbulent beneath the surface.

Across 25 competitive matches so far, excluding the Club World Cup, Alonso has guided Madrid to 18 victories. That translates to a 72% win rate, which in isolation is respectable. 

Yet at Real Madrid, numbers are never judged in isolation. Context matters, rhythm matters, and above all, momentum matters. 

After a flying start to the season, the feeling around the club has shifted noticeably.

A strong start to the season

Madrid won 13 of their first 14 games under Alonso, a run that appeared to validate the club’s faith in him. 

The peak of that early momentum came on October 26, when Madrid defeated Barcelona 2–1 in El Clasico, a result that immediately bought Alonso goodwill among supporters. 

A dominant 4–0 win over Valencia soon followed, reinforcing the sense that Madrid were moving in the right direction.

Real Madrid made a strong start under Xabi Alonso. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

However, that confidence has since faded. In the following 11 matches, Madrid managed just five wins, alongside three draws and three defeats. 

Heavy losses to Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Celta Vigo and Manchester City have exposed defensive weaknesses and a lack of consistency. 

Even recent victories against Alaves, Talavera, and Sevilla have felt kind of laboured rather than convincing, doing little to ease the growing tension.

Comparing the numbers

Statistically, Madrid are scoring an average of 2.08 goals per game while conceding one per match. 

In La Liga, they sit second with 39 points from 17 games, four points behind Barcelona despite winning the Clasico earlier in the season. 

The numbers suggest competitiveness, but the performances tell a more uneasy story.

To fully understand the pressure Alonso is facing, comparisons with his predecessors are unavoidable. 

Jose Mourinho set an almost impossible benchmark, winning 20 of his first 25 games with an 80% win rate and an astonishing 15 clean sheets. His Madrid side conceded just 10 goals in that period. 

Ancelotti, during his first spell between August and December 2013, won 19 of his first 25 matches, scoring freely but conceding more. 

Meanwhile, Zinedine Zidane struck a balance in his opening months in 2016, also winning 19 of 25 and building a platform that later delivered Champions League glory.

Against that backdrop, Alonso’s numbers inevitably fall short. His team score fewer goals than those of Mourinho and Ancelotti and defend less efficiently than Mourinho or Zidane. 

While the statistical gap is not dramatic, the emotional gap is far more significant. 

At the Santiago Bernabeu, patience wears thin quickly. Recent whistles from the stands, particularly during the Sevilla match, underline growing frustration among fans and, reportedly, within the boardroom as well.

There are valid reasons

There are mitigating factors. Alonso has had to deal with a severe injury crisis, at times missing up to 11 first-team players. 

This season, almost every outfield player has suffered some kind of injury, while the likes of Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been gone for a long time.

That instability has disrupted partnerships, rotations, and momentum, especially around key figures such as Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mabppe. 

Defensive lapses and a lack of continuity have been a natural consequence, but there have been issues within the core of the relationships.

Notably, the infamous feud between Alonso and Vinicius Jr. caused a massive uproar after the latter was taken off during El Clasico. While this has now been rectified, it certainly dominated the headlines for several weeks.

Despite the noise, though, Alonso has remained calm, publicly dismissing suggestions of tension with the board and urging patience before the Christmas break. 

His coaching journey so far suggests he is capable of fixing problems when given time.

However, the challenge is that time is a rare luxury at Real Madrid and right now, Alonso’s Madrid feel like a team searching for answers just when they should be finding certainty.