The surprising stat that gives Real Madrid fans hope for Xabi Alonso’s new-look team

Ancelotti often said he focused on defensive work because, with the kind of attacking talent Real Madrid usually has, offense was never as urgent. Xabi Alonso doesn’t go that far, but after the 0–3 win in Oviedo he made it clear: this new Madrid will be built from the ground up, starting with the defence.

“We’ve won balls at the back and moved them forward. We’ve been very solid, with a strong team spirit. There’s a collective mentality—we’re playing together, with good spacing. That’s what’s been missing all season.” For Alonso, defending is everyone’s job, all over the pitch. Even the star striker isn’t exempt: “Mbappé looks great. I love it when I see him make those runs,” the coach added.

In attack, progress is slower—but it’s there. Madrid are second in possession (67%, behind only Barcelona’s 76%), with 42 total shots (including blocked efforts), 14 on target, and four goals across two games. Against Osasuna they were more cautious, but at El Tartiere, against Osasuna, they registered ten shots on goal; only Escandell’s inspired performance prevented a bigger scoreline.

Where Alonso’s Madrid truly stands out, however, is in defence. Two games, two clean sheets, and above all, a level of control and pressing intensity that hasn’t been seen in this team for a long time.

So far only two sides remain unbeaten at the back: Villarreal, the current league leaders, and Madrid. Yet Alonso’s team has also allowed the fewest shots overall—just eight, compared to Villarreal’s ten and Barcelona’s twelve. On target, they’ve faced only three, fewer than Real Sociedad (five), Barcelona (six), and Villarreal (six).

But what really separates this Madrid from the Ancelotti era is their pressing. The Italian openly admitted he didn’t think the squad could sustain pressure for 90 minutes, so he often relied on a low block. Xabi wants to change that, and the numbers back him up: Madrid lead the league in chances recovered in the opposition half (84), well ahead of second-placed Barcelona (61).

The players themselves highlight the difference. Tchouaméni, central to the press as the bridge between defence and midfield, explained: “We’ve found a good balance between attack and defence. The key now is to win the ball back as high as possible so we can create chances. Not everything is perfect, but we’re improving. Recovering the ball in the opponent’s half makes it much easier to score.”

From his vantage point in goal, Courtois also feels the benefits—he’s faced just three saves in two games: “We press high, so the opponent is forced to play long. Then either the defence or I win it back. It works well. Of course, if they break the press, they can counter, but we all track back.”

And everyone does track back—as Alonso already pointed out with Mbappé. In this Madrid side, anyone unwilling to sacrifice for the collective will struggle to fit in. Alonso is laying the foundations of something bigger—perhaps the start of future success.