Atlético runs a weekly series called “Inside Real Madrid”.
Each week they deliver key information and analysis on the biggest talking points, cutting through the noisy world of all things Madridista with reports you can trust.
The information contained in this article reflects multiple conversations with various sources in Madrid, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to protect relationships.
What’s the biggest talking point at Real Madrid right now?
The team’s performance continues to be a concern at all levels at the club. Madrid earned a hard-fought win against Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday, but the display left a poor impression.
Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Girona saw them lose the lead in La Liga to rivals Barcelona, who they now trail by a point. Xabi Alonso’s team drew three consecutive league matches, after 0-0 away to Rayo Vallecano and 2-2 at Elche. Their last win in the competition was at home to Valencia on 1 November.
They have played three matches in a row away from home since the year The NFL game that took place at the Santiago Bernabeu on November 16.
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Highlights of the LALIGA match between Girona and Real Madrid.
“It’s a long season and we have to move on,” said an earnest Alonso at last night’s post-match press conference. “We were close to turning it around. We have to continue with the unity we have, with honest and necessary self-criticism.”
Madrid’s only goal was scored by Kylian Mbappe from the penalty spot, and the Frenchman has now scored 23 of Madrid’s 41 goals in all competitions so far this season.
What’s the mood in the locker room?
There is some division of opinion in the locker room, although it has not significantly affected the relationship between the players at this point. At the end of October, with the team at the top of the table, The Athletic revealed that Alonso’s personal approach and some of his footballing concepts did not go down well with a significant number of the first team.
Last week there were reports in the Spanish media of meetings between Alonso and the players to reconcile their differences.
“I’ll take away the positive things that happened inside,” Alonso said in his post-match press conference after Wednesday’s draw in Athens, when asked about his preparations for that game. Some players, such as Mbappe, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Kamavinga, used the 4-3 win in Greece — Madrid’s first win in four games — to play down internal tensions in the mixed zone and on social media. Yesterday, after the draw, none of the players spoke to the media.
There is currently a mixture of players who are not convinced of Alonso’s methods and others who claim that the manager is not to blame. “This is not the coach’s problem, it’s very obvious,” said one of the latter group The Athletic.
What about Xabi Alonso’s position?
Sources from the club and coaching staff acknowledge the difficulty in changing the dynamic. One said that things look “very difficult” because “we are playing very badly”. Another described Sunday’s result and performance against Girona, a team in the La Liga relegation zone, as a “disaster”.
When asked about Alonso’s future, those same sources said that Madrid’s upcoming games (they next play at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, another away game in La Liga) were important not only in terms of results, but also in terms of image.
Sunday’s draw in Girona means Barcelona now lead La Liga. Credit: Joan Walls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Sources close to the dressing room echoed this worrying situation. They said Alonso’s messages were not getting through to the players, but added that the current problems go beyond just the coach.
A source who was present every day at Valdebebas last season had this assessment: “The problem is not Xabi. Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and (Jude) Bellingham are incompatible; you cannot have a balanced team with these three.”
What might we have missed? What should we watch out for?
Antonio Rudiger returned to the team as a starter after being diagnosed with a rectus femoris muscle injury in his left thigh on September 12th. His inclusion was a surprise as the plan was to make a gradual comeback.
The German centre-back, 32, wanted to follow this plan after playing last season and needing painkillers, having knee surgery in May and suffering a new physical problem in September. However, he made himself available to Alonso, and with Dean Huysen (left thigh strain) and Raul Asensio (gastroenteritis) injured, the coach decided to pick him to start.
Rudiger played the entire match against Girona. Credit: Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Alvaro Carreras was a substitute for the first time in La Liga this term, having also started on the bench against Kairat Almaty in the Champions League in September.
The left-back was ready to come on in the second half, but a penalty won by Vinicius Jr. and converted by Mbappe stopped the change, and the 22-year-old entered only in the 90th minute. Rodrigo, who may have been awarded another penalty, also played in the second half.
The Brazilian is now on a 30-match clean sheet – a run equal to the worst record by a Madrid striker, tied with Mariano Diaz. Rodrigo has played 1,339 minutes in this period, compared to 986 for Mariano who left in 2023.
Another sign of the team’s poor run could be taken from the fact that the players huddled together as they waited for Girona to return to the pitch after half-time. It has become common since Alonso’s arrival before matches, but not before the second half.
Madrid return to action on Wednesday against eighth-placed Atlético at the always tough San Mamés Stadium. With captain Dani Carvajal still sidelined, it will be important to see if any of Madrid’s other injured players, David Alaba, Asencio or Huijsen, return in time.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.