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Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso believes his team are in a much stronger position heading into Sunday’s La Liga Clásico, having learnt valuable lessons from their heavy derby defeat to Atletico Madrid earlier in the season.
Los Blancos were humbled 5-2 by their city rivals in their only loss of the campaign so far, across 12 matches in all competitions.
But Alonso’s men now sit two points clear of Barcelona at the top of the table as they prepare to host the reigning champions at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“Without a doubt, we’ve spent the last few weeks correcting things and improving,” Alonso told reporters on Saturday. “We’re arriving at this game in a good moment — mentally, technically, and competitively.”
The upcoming Clasico will be another key test for Madrid, who were also thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semi-finals this summer. For Alonso, however, the focus is on steady progress rather than quick judgements.
“These games are very important, but I don’t like to evaluate only by the result,” he said. “In these 12 games, there’s been clear growth. There’s still a lot to improve, and it’s only October — no trophies have been handed out yet. The only thing that matters right now is tomorrow’s Clasico.”
Barcelona dominated the fixture last season, winning both league meetings and triumphing in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup finals under former coach Carlo Ancelotti. Alonso, who took over in June, said his side are ready to turn the tide.
“There could be some similar situations to last season, and we’ve studied them,” he noted. “But both teams are in different moments now. We’re at the start of a new project, working on it every day, and we want to bring our strengths to the game and perform well.”
The Madrid boss confirmed he will have almost his entire squad available, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, and Dean Huijsen all expected to recover from recent injuries in time for the clash.
