Alonso leads his team to advance in the Copa del Rey, seeking greater consistency.

2025-12-18 02:36

After leading Real Madrid to a narrow 3-2 away victory against Talavera in the Copa del Rey, manager Xabi Alonso raised the bar for the team's maturity in a post-match interview.

Alonso expressed satisfaction with the result, but immediately pointed out that the team's handling of the lead was not solid enough. Despite completely controlling the game and taking the lead in the first half, their failure to extend the lead to 3-0 allowed their opponents to almost change their fate through a free kick, buoyed by the support of their fans.

“We lacked consistency and couldn’t maintain a stable performance throughout the game. We must not let our guard down and must learn to close out games early. The team needs to play more maturely,” Alonso said bluntly.

Regarding player evaluations, Alonso highly praised Kylian Mbappé, who scored twice, saying his goal-scoring ability made everything easy, which was why he played the full 90 minutes. He also specifically congratulated young player Enderk, praising his exceptional explosiveness in tight spaces.

When discussing the team's potential for improvement, Alonso set his sights on this week's La Liga match against Sevilla. He admitted that, in addition to Mbappe and the in-form Rodrygo, he hopes more players can demonstrate their finishing prowess.

"We need three points, and we also need to end the year with a positive attitude," Alonso concluded. "The upcoming offseason is crucial, and we need to focus on how to keep the team in a high-intensity state for longer."