Alonso helps Real Madrid 'transform'

Alonso read the game quite well, helping Real win with courage and calculation.

After a difficult start with Raul Asensio's red card in the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ group stage on June 23, coach Xabi Alonso intervened promptly, adjusting the Real Madrid squad precisely, bringing about results beyond expectations. All of his tactical decisions helped the Spanish Royal team transform and win.

At one point, Real Madrid were hanging by a thread. A disappointing 1-1 draw with Al Hilal and Asensio’s early red card against Pachuca put Xabi Alonso and his team in a difficult position. For a project still under construction, failure at this point would be a fatal blow.

Right from the first minutes of the match against Pachuca, Real's formation appeared to be in disarray, with unclear pressure and too many gaps in the midfield. However, everything changed completely after the water break, when Xabi directly intervened, rearranged the formation and changed the game.

Xabi's landmark decision was to switch to a 1-4-4-1 formation. Federico Valverde was moved to partner Jude Bellingham in the centre, Arda Guler moved to the right wing with maximum freedom to attack. Young striker Gonzalo Garcia drifted left and Vinicius played up front.

Real switched to a 1-4-4-1 formation after losing a man.

The change paid off immediately. Gonzalo provided excellent defensive support and played a key role in Bellingham and Guler’s goals. Vinicius, meanwhile, disrupted Pachuca’s defence with his pace, agility and off-the-ball movement. He made 74 off-the-ball movements and reached a top speed of 34.6 km/h.

In defence, new signing Dean Huijsen has proven his worth. After just two games, Huijsen has quickly become the "brain" in Real's deep-lying position. Without a real "number 6", Xabi has put his trust in the young Spanish centre-back to develop the ball from the back.

Huijsen had a game-high 97 touches and broke down Pachuca's defensive structure 31 times, twice as many as any other player. He also initiated the move that led to Valverde's goal with a perfect pass through the middle to Vinicius.

Huijsen has been impressive since joining Real Madrid.

Even when he was ahead, Xabi Alonso did not back down. In the second half, he brought on Brahim Diaz for Gonzalo to increase his possession. The Spaniard responded with a passing accuracy of 95.8% and an assist for Valverde's goal.

Meanwhile, Valverde continued to be the soul of the midfield with 10.9 km of movement and 51 sprints. In addition, the introduction of Modric and Ceballos to replace Guler and Bellingham also helped Real completely control the game. In less than 35 minutes, they made 92 touches and passed the ball to each other 22 times.

At the end of the match, Real Madrid controlled 65% of the ball possession and deservedly won 3 points. A victory with the strong tactical imprint of Xabi Alonso.

Real Madrid won the first match at the FIFA Club World Cup. In the early morning of June 23, Real defeated Pachuca 3-1 in the second match, Group F of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.

Source: https://znews.vn/alonso-giup-real-madrid-lot-xac-post1563461.html