Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso was delighted with his team's performance against Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, claiming that the sensations within the dressing room are positive after breaking their three-game winless run. Alonso had come under a lot of pressure following Madrid's dramatic drop in form, but the manager assured that he is "handling it much more calmly than you might expect".
Madrid return to winning ways after Olympiacos scare
Madrid ended their run of three games without a win following a nervy 4-3 win in the Champions League over Greek champions Olympiacos at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium on Wednesday.
The visitors were caught by surprise early on, as Chiquinho fired a brilliant volley into the bottom-left corner in the eighth minute. However, Madrid provided an exquisite response, as Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick within the space of seven minutes put Olympiacos to the sword before the game hit the half-hour mark.
Jose Luis Mendilibar's men, however, were not in a mood to let Los Blancos have things go their way. Substitute Mehdi Taremi, who came on for the injured Chiquinho in the first half, pulled one back for the home side in the 52nd minute. Eight minutes later, though, Mbappe completed a poker by scoring his fourth of the night and ninth overall in the competition this season.
Ayoub El Kaabi breathed life back into Olympiacos once again, rising in the 81st minute to power a header into the back of the net and reignite hopes of a comeback. After the third goal, Mendilibar's side tightened the screw and played with incredible intensity, even coming close to finding the equaliser on a couple of occasions. It wouldn't matter, however, as Alonso's troops held Olympiacos at bay in the final 15 minutes (including stoppage time) to end their winless streak.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportAlonso reflects on the win and says he's 'novice'
Following the win, Alonso spoke to reporters and reflected on his team's performance. He even addressed the mounting pressure him and his players.
When asked how the team were doing in the hours leading up to the game, Alonso responded: "They've been very positive, very productive. They've helped us to keep growing, to try and break the cycle, which we've managed to do. And to learn how to cope with difficult moments. Very positive. Like the things we've talked about, the unity the players have, their commitment… and this is the only way. Besides the three points, I'm left with positive things that have happened behind the scenes."
He further added that he was more relaxed about Madrid's recent woes than one could have expected.
"No, no, no. I was handling it much more calmly than you might expect," he assured. "I'm no novice at this, and I know the road is long. And that it's not always a bed of roses. You have to know how to navigate difficult twists and turns without losing your mind. You have to be critical, demanding of yourself, and acknowledge your mistakes; but also know that there's always another game. And that you always have to look ahead."
Vinicius' return to form a big positive for Madrid
Over the past week, rumours have swirled about growing discontent within the Real Madrid dressing room over Alonso’s methods. At the centre of the speculation is Vinicius Jr., whose relationship with the 44-year-old has come under intense scrutiny. even described their dynamic as “strained.” Additional reports have gone further, suggesting the Brazilian star has informed the club’s hierarchy that he does not intend to renew his contract due to his fragile relationship with Alonso.
However, Alonso was glowing in his praise for the 25-year-old winger. Vinicius was on song on Wednesday, delivering two fantastic assists to Mbappe and having a goal of his own disallowed. In the process, he moved to 27 assists in the Champions League, tying Madrid icon Karim Benzema as the club's second-highest assist provider in Europe, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo's 31.
"I'm really sorry about the disallowed goal, because it's a play we talked about yesterday, and it would have given him a good feeling, because it's a very typical goal of his," Alonso said.
"Cutting in from the outside, into the far corner. I'm really sorry it was ruled out. But then, apart from that, the combination and connection with Kylian, the two assists, the impact he's had… the thing is, overall, with the difficulties we had, because [Eduardo] Camavinga couldn't go on at halftime, [Raul] Asencio had some discomfort in his hamstring… today was a game of moments. We pulled it off, and with positive things: Kylian's goals, Vini's performance , and other players who also did well."
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GettyCan Olympiacos win spark a turnaround?
The victory on Wednesday further strengthened Madrid's pursuit of a top-eight spot in the Champions League league phase. Plus, despite dropping points away at Rayo Vallecano and Elche in their previous two games, Madrid continue to be the La Liga leaders.
With a few more away fixtures on the way before Madrid return to the Santiago Bernabeu, Alonso was confident that his side will navigate through the tricky schedule without further setbacks.
"We'll see. Time will tell. We had a good feeling… and we shared some things. Regarding the match, we came here to do what we wanted, in a complicated context, with injuries and what happened during the game," he stated.
"And we'll take that away from it. This is football, and we have to think about the next one. Now we have a visit to Girona, then we go to Bilbao… the schedule, exceptionally, I don't know if we'll play five or six away games. It's something that doesn't happen very often. But we're going to face it."