Thirteen wins in fourteen matches might seem routine for a club of Real Madrid’s stature. But this blistering start under Xabi Alonso is anything but ordinary. In fact, it’s only the third time in the club’s 126-year history that Los Blancos have opened a season with such dominance.
In the 1928-29 campaign, José Berraondo’s Madrid side went unbeaten with 13 wins and a draw. Then came the legendary 1961-62 team led by Miguel Muñoz, which also began with 13 victories and a single loss - just like Alonso’s squad. It’s been 64 years since Madrid started a season this strongly. Alonso’s Madrid is chasing history.
Reviving stars and rebuilding confidence
Alonso’s impact has been immediate and profound. He’s reignited the careers of players who had faded under Carlo Ancelotti’s final stretch. Chief among them is Aurélien Tchouaméni, the €80 million signing from Monaco who had become a peripheral figure, even drawing boos at the Bernabéu.
Arda Güler, the 20-year-old Turkish playmaker once seen as a long-term project, has flourished under Alonso - and then there’s Jude Bellingham. After a dazzling debut season, the arrival of Kylian Mbappé disrupted his rhythm. But Alonso has restored Bellingham to his best.
A fortress in defense
Despite a truncated preseason, Alonso has built a team that’s tactically disciplined and defensively elite. Madrid has conceded just 11 goals in 14 matches - a rate of 0.78 per game. Remove the 5-2 derby loss to Atlético Madrid, and that drops to 0.46. Seven clean sheets and six one-goal concessions speak volumes. Compare that to last season’s 84 goals allowed in 68 games (1.2 per match), and the transformation is stark.
Dominating domestically and in Europe
Alonso’s Madrid sits atop LaLiga with authority and boasts a perfect record in the Champions League’s league phase (three wins from three). His debut season echoes the success he had at Bayer Leverkusen, where he broke Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga stranglehold, winning the league, the domestic cup, and the Supercup. In LaLiga, Alonso has matched a rare feat: only three managers since 1929 have won 10 of their first 11 matches - Tito Vilanova, Tata Martino and Hansi Flick.
Managing crisis and conflict
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Alonso took over a team in decline just before the Club World Cup, where a heavy semifinal loss to Paris Saint-Germain dented his early reputation. But he got Madrid there against the odds.
Internally, he’s had to navigate player unrest. Vinícius Júnior struggled with his diminished role following Mbappé’s arrival. Federico Valverde voiced frustration about being played out of position (“I wasn’t born to be a full-back”), while Rodrygo Goes requested a switch to the left wing, and Eduardo Camavinga asked not to be deployed on the right. Alonso has managed each situation with calm authority.
Smart spending and youth integration
Madrid spent €179 million this summer, and Alonso has made every euro count. Dean Huijsen (€58M) and Álvaro Carreras (€50M) are now starters, delivering top-tier performances. Franco Mastantuono (€63.2M), the 18-year-old Argentine prodigy, has already started nine matches - more than Rodrygo and Brahim Díaz combined. Trent Alexander-Arnold, signed for just €8M, has yet to establish himself in the XI due to injury and Dani Carvajal’s resurgence. Alonso is easing him in, but the team itself is moving at breakneck speed.
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