AS talks about the challenges Alonso faces: Nine battles with six visitors in a month, no breathing space

Before the arrival of the intensive schedule before Christmas, "AS" wrote an article analyzing the challenges faced by Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso. Six of the team's nine games are away games.

Before the international break, Real Madrid failed to win two consecutive games in all competitions (against Liverpool and Rayo Vallecano), which made the team very unhappy. Head coach Alonso is working hard to adjust and hopes to reverse this situation in the next game. The next phase of competition will start this Sunday and run until the Christmas break.

Alonso divides the season into several parts, each with specific game plans and short-term goals. At the beginning of the season, due to the existence of international matches, the division is relatively simple: the intermission period in September, October, November and the games before the end of the year. Entering 2026, the schedule will be even more compact, with almost no respite until the break in March.

At present, Alonso is most concerned about the nine games before Christmas. He hopes to restore the team's morale and improve the record during this period. These nine games involve three events: maintaining and extending the lead in La Liga (currently 3 points ahead of Barcelona), ensuring qualification for the Champions League group (currently seventh with 9 points), and making a good start in the Copa del Rey (opponent yet to be determined).

In order to achieve these goals, Alonso faces a real marathon. He needs to reasonably deploy his players and give them timely rest. There is little time for rest in the next nine games: Elche, Olympiacos, Girona, Athletic Bilbao, Celta Vigo, Manchester City, Alaves, the Copa del Rey and against Sevilla. These nine games will be completed in 28 or 29 days, with an average of one game every 3.1 days, without any breathing time.

Plus, there's an added challenge: six of the nine games are on the road, including tough trips to Piraeus and San Mames in Greece. However, the last game will be at home against Sevilla, scheduled for December 20 or 21. Alonso hopes that on that day he can celebrate that the team ends the 2025 campaign in the best possible condition and is ready to compete for all titles.

source:7m cn