Xabi Alonso shaping new Real Madrid on Liverpool return

MADRID – Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield to face his former side Liverpool in the Champions League on Nov 4, after a near-immaculate start to life in the Spanish capital.

While English Premier League giants Liverpool have just

two wins in their last eight games,

Alonso’s Real are on a high, transformed from last season and improving weekly under the Basque tactician.

The 15-time European champions

beat Clasico rivals Barcelona

2-1 on Oct 26 in La Liga and aim to flex their muscles in another high-profile match against Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

Elegant on the ball, Alonso was the brains of Liverpool’s midfield from 2004 to 2009. He was key to the 2005 Champions League triumph in Istanbul and won the FA Cup among other silverware, before continuing his playing career at Real and Bayern Munich.

Upon returning to the Santiago Bernabeu as coach, he has got off to a great start, with Real winning 13 of their 14 matches this season.

His predecessor Carlo Ancelotti found it hard to make his star-studded attack press opponents, but Alonso’s side have been diligent. With greater intensity without the ball, they are more sturdy.

“To win trophies you have to defend well, obtaining many clean sheets,” said Alonso, as Real secured their seventh shutout of the season in a 4-0 rout of Valencia on Nov 1.

Spanish newspaper Marca wrote that Real have “forged a new identity” and now “dominate, suffocate and subdue their opponents” – a far cry from the lethargy of Ancelotti’s final season.

The Italian could not bring himself to drop Rodrygo even though playing him with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham made Los Blancos top heavy.

Now, no team in Europe have more ball recoveries in the final third than Alonso’s Real.

The Spaniard decided his team will train before heading to Merseyside, so Liverpool get no hints to how he will approach the match.

“It’s my decision (not to train at Anfield). We prefer to do it at home, in our space, so they don’t put 200 cameras on us,” said Alonso.

Alonso has also got the best out of his star players, with perhaps one exception.

Vinicius showed his frustration with his coach publicly during the Clasico, storming off in a fit of histrionics after being substituted.

The Brazilian made a public apology to the fans and the club, without mentioning his coach, although Alonso said the matter was resolved.

Vinicius impressed against Valencia despite missing a penalty and Alonso’s cautious handling may be the right way to keep the forward as a useful asset.

Mbappe is in sensational form, continuing his resurgence from the second half of last season.

The French forward, who missed a penalty last season at Anfield as Real lost 2-0, has 18 goals across all competitions already this term while adding pressing to his game at the behest of Alonso.

The Spaniard wants to make his Anfield return an unhappy one for the hosts and prove his Real machine can compete for major silverware again as they continue to fit his mould.

Another former Red returning to Liverpool is Trent Alexander-Arnold, who looks set to receive a frosty reception after running down his contract to leave his boyhood club at the end of last season.

The right-back, 27, said he had “mixed emotions” over his return and would not celebrate if he scored. But he has not featured for Los Blancos since suffering a hamstring injury in their Champions League opener against Marseille on Sept 16.

Since his return to fitness, and in the absence also of the injured Dani Carvajal, Alonso has preferred midfielder Federico Valverde at right-back.

In other Champions League action on Nov 4, Bayern’s sizzling start to the season faces an acid test. They visit holders Paris Saint-Germain, whose star forward Ousmane Dembele was declared fit to play despite fitness issues.

Following a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Nov 1, Bayern have registered their 15th win from 15 matches in all competitions, eclipsing AC Milan’s 1992-93 record for the best start to a season in Europe’s top five leagues.

Attackers Harry Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise came on for only the last 30 minutes in the win over Leverkusen, who lost 7-2 to PSG on Oct 21.

Kane’s former side Tottenham Hotspur will hope to reverse their slump at home when they host Copenhagen, while Premier League leaders Arsenal will be seeking a 10th consecutive win in all competitions at Slavia Prague. AFP