Xabi Alonso highly praised the performance of Real Madrid players.

2026-01-05 03:43

After Real Madrid's 5-1 victory over Real Betis in the 18th round of La Liga, manager Xabi Alonso highly praised the team's performance and emphasized the core role of academy players in the club's strategy.

In the post-match press conference, Alonso believed that the victory was key to setting the tone for the whole year: "Starting the new year with a well-deserved victory at home is crucial and creates a positive atmosphere for our Super Cup campaign."

With the first half of the season concluded, Real Madrid has accumulated 45 points. Facing Barcelona's relentless pressure, Alonso demonstrated a rigorous strategy for the title race: "If we maintain the same pace in the second half, we will reach 90 points. This high-intensity competition will continue until the end of the season, and from tomorrow onwards, we will fully shift to Super Cup mode."

The brightest star of the match was undoubtedly academy graduate Gonzalo García, who scored a hat-trick. Alonso praised him as an excellent example of youth training spirit and specifically analyzed his tactical value.

Alonso said, "He not only scores goals, but also has a deep understanding of teamwork off the ball. As the first line of defense, his high pressing and defensive aggression greatly improve the team's balance."

Notably, all five goals in this match were scored by youth academy players. Alonso expressed his genuine pride: "This is a great statistic, proving the excellent work of the youth academy. As long as you have the right mindset and put in the effort, the pitch will give you opportunities."