Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso was not too critical of his team's display during the narrow defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday. Alonso says he set up his team to win the midfield battle against Arne Slot's men as he made tactical adjustments in the second half, but lamented their inability to create clear chances at Anfield.
Alonso's Liverpool homecoming ends in loss
Real Madrid slipped to a gut-wrenching 1-0 loss to the underperforming Liverpool in the Champions League at Anfield on Tuesday evening. The visitors came into the encounter on the back of six straight wins, including the 2-1 defeat of Barcelona in La Liga. Meanwhile, Arne Slot's side had lost six of their last eight games, including four on the bounce in the Premier League before ending that run against Aston Villa at the weekend. Los Blancos were the favourites heading into the encounter due to the contrasting form experienced by both teams.
AdvertisementAlonso explains what led to Madrid defeat
Alonso started the game with four midfielders, including Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni, while Federico Valverde filled in at full-back. Alonso opted to tweak his tactics further during the game, with winger Rodrygo taking Camavinga's place.
Asked what his aim was by fielding the Frenchman, he said: "A fourth midfielder. We thought Arda could cut inside from the wing, stretching Fede [Valverde]. Then we changed it because Arda had a good touch inside. These are decisions you make during the match.
"We haven't been able to break through their last defensive line to create clear chances in the box. Fede was carrying a knock, so we substituted him. With Trent [Alexander-Arnold] and Rodrygo, we wanted to create threats. We looked for other combinations. Today we lacked a little something overall, and some details went their way."
He also admitted that his team committed a lot of unnecessary fouls too close to the Liverpool box, which led the hosts to seize the moment and eventually find the winner through Mac Allister. "And in the second half, everything was very tight, a matter of small details. Those somewhat unnecessary fouls made us lose the initiative." he said.
Vinicius and Mbappe ineffective against impenetrable Liverpool defence
Kylian Mbappe had a forgettable evening at Anfield last year, when he missed a penalty and was largely uninfluential as Liverpool romped to a 2-0 win. However, things have been different for the Frenchman this season, as he has already racked up 18 goals in 15 games. On Tuesday, though, his powers were nullified by a fully locked-in Reds backline. Vinicius, who had previously never experienced a defeat against Liverpool, also lost his duel against right-back Conor Bradley comprehensively.
Speaking on , Gareth Bale was critical of the star attacking duo. "I think it was that spark that [Thierry] Henry and I were talking about, that we didn't see Mbappe and Vinicius in the final third work a bit of magic and bring Madrid back into the game. It was a bit disappointing that in that final third there wasn't really that kind of quality that you expect from Real Madrid players.
"It's frustrating, I think they overcomplicate things. Sometimes they just need to try and test the defender. They are clearly faster than anyone else on the pitch. But I think maybe they don't do it because there's no one else in the box waiting for the crosses. Maybe they need that reference number nine."
GettyAlonso wants Real Madrid to 'learn' from Liverpool loss
It hasn't been a bad start from Madrid by any means this season, having won 13 games out of the 15 they've played. They also defeated Barcelona recently, putting an end to their four-game losing streak against their arch-rivals. However, there is still a feeling that Los Blancos require more time to settle in the new system under Alonso before they can start dominating in the big games. They lost 5-2 to Atletico Madrid in September, but the ex-Bayer Leverkusen gaffer believes the defeat to Liverpool was different, and one his boys could learn a lot from.
"The match was even, with some details. There was a moment when things went very much in their favor… and there are many ways to lose," he said. "Today's loss is very different from the one at the Wanda Metropolitano. Today, we gave it our all, we competed, the attitude was good. We lacked a few things that we'll have to improve for the future, because there will surely be more matches like this. But today was the most difficult of the Champions League group stage.
"I don't think we're going through peaks and valleys. The match at the Metropolitano wasn't a good one, but we have to be consistent with our performance, with our approach, with our standards. We don't want to experience peaks and valleys because that kind of pressure creates instability. Today we suffered a defeat in a close and competitive match, and we have to learn from it."