Real Madrid win brings relief, but doubts linger over Xabi Alonso

The initial takeaway from Real Madrid’s victory over Alavés at Mendizorroza is simple and positive. Xabi Alonso’s team remembered how to win. That, for now, is the good news. What has not followed is the clear step forward in performance and confidence that both the coach and players were calling for. The question of how far this team can really go within its current setup is still very much alive. The victory offers some breathing room, but not a definitive solution.

Two matches that will define Real Madrid’s future

Last season, it was the Spanish Super Cup that set the tone for the rest of the campaign. Inside the club, there is a strong desire to avoid history repeating itself. With only two matches remaining in 2025, those games will be crucial, not just for the results, but for what they reveal about the future of the current project.

Real Madrid are searching for a spark, a genuine boost that changes the dynamic. The club has not ruled out the possibility that this turnaround could still come under Xabi Alonso, but time is moving fast and that shift has yet to materialize.

Physical concerns raise alarms

If upcoming games against Talavera and Sevilla can restore some of the optimism that surrounded Alonso’s arrival, the project will move forward. That is far from guaranteed. Internal reports at the club, first revealed by AS, point to a squad that is physically worn down. Regaining that edge is not something that happens overnight.

Fernando Carro, the CEO of Bayer Leverkusen, recently said he has met twice in Madrid with his former coach. Relations between the two clubs are strained following the payment of Alonso’s release clause, and Carro’s comments about the coach’s sense of isolation have not been viewed as particularly supportive inside Valdebebas.

Who could replace Xabi Alonso?

In recent days, several agents have approached Real Madrid executives, but none have received signals that the club is actively searching outside for a new head coach. If anything, the opposite message has been conveyed. The solution, if change becomes necessary, could come from within, with Santiago Solari and a coaching staff developed entirely at Valdebebas.

When concern began to grow, it was already clear that the real test, the one Carlo Ancelotti failed a year ago, would come in the Super Cup. If Xabi Alonso reaches that stage, it will be a positive sign that his project is still alive and has earned more time.

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