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Real Madrid Under Xabi Alonso: Tactical Shifts, Key Winners and Losers, and How They Compare to Ancelotti’s Era

Sushan Chakraborty Written by Sports EditorSushan Chakraborty
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Real Madrid Under Xabi Alonso: Tactical Shifts, Key Winners and Losers, and How They Compare to Ancelotti’s Era

Real Madrid appointed club legend Xabi Alonso as manager ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, but it has not been smooth sailing for the Spaniard. 

SportsCasting takes a close look at Alonso’s era, identifying the players who have benefited and suffered, his tactics, and whether Real Madrid is actually better off.

How Real Madrid Have Fared Under Xabi Alonso

Following a trophyless campaign under Carlo Ancelotti, in which Madrid suffered a 5-1 aggregate defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League, the board wanted a fresh start. Xabi Alonso, who had made Bayer Leverkusen the first-ever team to win the Bundesliga title unbeaten, was their first-choice replacement.

President Florentino Perez did not want Alonso to manage Real Madrid in the Club World Cup, thinking it would add extra pressure on the manager. Alonso’s Madrid played good football and reached the semi-final before suffering a demoralising 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). On the positive side, both new signings, Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold, looked right at home from the beginning.

After the Club World Cup, Real Madrid signed Alvaro Carreras from Benfica and Argentine youngster Franco Mastantuono from River Plate.

The reinforced squad won seven straight games in all competitions before losing 5-2 to arch-rivals Atletico Madrid. It was the first time in nearly 75 years that Atletico scored five against their city rivals.

Real Madrid bounced back from the embarrasment by recording six straight wins in all competitions. In the last week of October, they beat Barcelona 2-1 in the first El Clasico of the season, marking their most significant victory of the stretch.

Last Tuesday Real Madrid hit another snag, as they lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Anfield. The result could have been markedly worse had Thibaut Courtois not been at the top of his game. The Belgian goalkeeper made eight saves in the Champions League Matchday 4 clash.

Unlike the last time, Real Madrid could not bounce in the next match. In their last match before the November international break, Los Merengues were held to a goalless draw by Rayo Vallecano.

Xabi Alonso’s Tactics at Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso earned praise for his tactical prowess during his time with Bayer Leverkusen. He made the team more cohesive, ensuring they conceded fewer high quality chances.

Additionally, it allowed Leverkusen to use counter-pressing more effectively and win the ball higher up the pitch. Last season, Alonso’s Leverkusen averaged 5.1 possessions won in the final third, the highest in the Bundesliga.

After taking charge, Alonso’s first priority was to tighten Madrid’s defensive organisation and improve their pressing structure.

Restructuring of the Defence and Improved Pressing

Real Madrid conceded 1.13 xG per game under Carlo Ancelotti last season, making them only the fourth-best defensive unit in LaLiga. In the UEFA Champions League, the number crept up to 1.60 xG.

Xabi Alonso has made his players press higher and in a more organised fashion. Additionally, he has used a rest-defence to guard the team better against counter-attacks, leading to fewer high-quality chances conceded. Alonso has also gotten a lot more out of Kylian Mbappe in the pressing department.

The Frenchman has won possession 13 times in the final third in LaLiga this season. He won possession only 16 times over the entirety of the 2024/25 season.

In LaLiga, Real Madrid have conceded 0.8 goals per game (10 in 12 games) — the joint-lowest alongside Villarreal. They conceded five of their seven goals against Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid have also been excellent in winning the ball in the final third. They average 5.3 possessions won in the final third and 17.9 /game in midfield.

In the first six LaLiga games this season, Real Madrid produced 53 high turnovers. Fifteen of those led to shots, with four goals coming from them.

Effectively Using the No.6 In the Build-Up

Aurelien Tchoumeni had a tough 2024/25 season under Carlo Ancelotti. The French midfielder struggled to thrive in Toni Kroos’ position, drawing criticism from fans and media. His £88million (including add-ons) price tag also did him no favours.

Ahead of the summer transfer window, Tchouameni was linked with a move away from the club. Premier League giants Chelsea were named as one of the teams interested in his services.

Xabi Alonso, however, has restored Tchoumeni’s importance, using him as the midfield anchor. The French midfielder often slots in between the two centre-backs, giving them an escape route.

He also draws midfielders in, thus destablising the opposition structure and allowing the full-backs to create midfield overloads.

If a midfielder does not press Tchouameni, Real Madrid can comfortably retain possession and work the ball up through the wide triangles areas.

Tchouameni has thrived in this system, averaging 52.6 passes (92.2% accuracy), 2.37 accurate long balls (65.7% accuracy) and, 1.44 interceptions per 90.

Fluidity in Attack

Kylian Mbappe is not a traditional striker. He prefers to operate down the left flank, use his pace to cut in, and test the goalkeeper. Mbappe’s preferred position, however, is occupied by Vinicius Junior, who has been a fixture on the left since breaking through in the 2018/19 season.

Xabi Alonso has tackled this problem quite well so far, allowing his forwards to switch positions throughout the game.

Alonso has also introduced more unpredictability by using a third runner in attack. This simple strategy takes attention away from the two primary attackers, as the third man attacks the space left vacant by the defence.

If the defenders react and mark the runner, they leave more room for the primary attackers to run into, often creating attacking overloads.

Kylian Mbappe Vinicius. Real Madrid Santiago Bernabeu

Vinicius Jr. has also played differently in Alonso’s system. Instead of just hugging the left flank and being a direct counter-attacking outlet, he has regularly come short to combine with defenders.

The Brazilian has also taken more diagonal runs this season instead of just assuming his natural position on the left.

While the majority of Madrid’s attacks flow down the left, the left side has looked more balanced than last season.

Franco Mastantuono has played nine matches in LaLiga, starting seven. He has played as a right-midfielder/right-winger, rarely coming to the opposite wing.

Alonso has used the 18-year-old’s energy and high workrate to reinforce the right side of his defence. This has allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold more freedom to push forward and trouble the opposition with his crosses.

Rodrygo, meanwhile, has been used as a substitute. In matches where Mbappe or Vinicius Jr. have not had the desired impact, Rodrygo has come on to provide pace and width.

Winners and Losers Under Xabi Alonso

Winners

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe has been the focal point of Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid. The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has played as a striker, playmaker, left-winger, and also as a second forward. So far, he has looked effective in all roles, which allows Alonso to tinker with his formation more freely.

Mbappe has also increased his defensive workrate without letting it hurt his attacking output. He is currently leading the Pichichi race with  13 goals in 12 games, well clear of Julian Alvarez in second place (7 goals). If he keeps this up, Real Madrid will have a solid opportunity to finish the season with a trophy or two.

Arda Guler

Arda Guler has benefitted the most from Xabi Alonso’s arrival. He has gone from being a benchwarmer under Carlo Ancelotti to one of the first names on Alonso’s team sheet.

The revelation has come thanks to a clever positional change. Unlike last season, Guler is not occupying the right flank. He has been playing further down, as a central midfielder. With Luka Modric gone, Guler has stepped up in an organisational role.

The young Turk has also been impactful in the final third. He has scored three goals this season and provided five assists, all of them to Kylian Mbappe.

Losers

Vinicius Jr.

With Kylian Mbappe becoming the star of the show, Vinicius Jr. has lost some of his shine. The Brazilian still remains a crucial player for Real Madrid, but Xabi Alonso rarely keeps him on for the full 90.

Vinicius has played 16 games for Real Madrid this season, playing the whole 90 in only five of them. Alonso hooked him in the 72nd minute against Barcelona, drawing a furious reaction from the player. According to reports, the Brazilian does not feel valued at Madrid, and is reluctant to sign a contract extension.

Rodrygo

Rodrygo has lost his place in the starting XI under Xabi Alonso. In LaLiga, the Brazilian has played 10 matches, starting only two of them. He averaged only 25.5 minutes in the 10 LaLiga matches he featured in.

According to sources, Tottenham Hotspur are ready to pay £70 million for the out-of-favour forward. Unless Alonso changes his attacking lineup, he might be inclined to look for a new club.

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid Are a Work in Progress

Five months into the Xabi Alonso era, Real Madrid find themselves in a decent position. They have a three-point lead at the top of the LaLiga rankings and are inside the automatic Round-of-16 qualification spots in the Champions League.

Los Blancos’s season, however, has not been without its fair share of hiccups.

Against Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid went from leading the game to losing 5-2. They generated an xG of only 0.66 in the game, despite having Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe on the pitch.

In the defeat against Liverpool, Real Madrid were restricted to an xG of 0.45. And finally, in the goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano, they once again had a disappointing return of 0.98 xG.

In all three matches, the opposition blocked Madrid from progressing centrally, pushing them to the wings. Since Real Madrid do not have a strong target man to attack the box, most plays down the wing did not amount to anything.

Alonso has also struggled to get the best of Vinicius Jr., Mbappe, and Bellingham in a 4-3-3 formation. With Mbappe and Vinicius both drifting to the left, the central channel has often remained vacant. A defined No. 10 role for Bellingham might allow him to attack the box more frequently.

Real Madrid’s Weaknesses

  • Unable to make an impact if central progression is disrupted
  • Lack of a target man in the box limits wingplay
  • Not enough physicality to consistently win the second ball
  • Over-reliance on individual ability
  • Mbappe, Vinicius, and Bellingham trio look ineffective in the 4-3-3 formation
  • Lack of a Plan B when things do not go according to plan

Carlo Ancelotti to Xabi Alonso: Are Real Madrid Better Off?

Carlo Ancelotti brought Real Madrid immense success over his two spells, winning three UEFA Champions League trophies and one LaLiga title. But in his final season, Ancelotti’s Real Madrid underperformed in all competitions, leading to his departure.

Real Madrid fans wanted a change in the summer, and Florentino Perez delivered by bringing one of the sharpest young coaches in the business, Xabi Alonso.

Since taking over, he has made Real Madrid more solid at the back, improved the players’ work rate, and have seemingly found a high-quality centre-midfield option. All three issues plagued Ancelotti in the 2024/25 season.

But Alonso’s system is not perfect. The team has struggled against high-quality opponents, the Spaniard has been slow to make in-game tactical changes, and his system has restricted the individual ability of the likes of Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham.

Considering Alonso is still a very young coach and has had to deal with quite a few injuries, Real Madrid are better off than they were under Ancelotti. He is a forward-thinking manager with immense potential and has the right temperament to deal with such a star-studded dressing room.

For all their imperfections, Alonso’s Madrid look tactically sound and physically sharper than the underperforming unit of 2024/25.

If Alonso solves his Vinicius-Mbappe-Bellingham dilemma and takes a more proactive approach with in-game tactics, Real Madrid could be in for another successful era.

Sushan Chakraborty Written by Sports EditorSushan Chakraborty
Sushan Chakraborty has been writing professionally since debuting with 90min in 2017. He has since typed out thousands of articles, learning the trade from some of the smartest minds in the business. Now at Sportscasting, he is striving to whip up his best articles yet.
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