“What we Learned”A new post-game piece from Managing Madrid with key takeaways or narrative shifts following each match. It will be a quick-hitting format: 3-4 clear lessons or learnings, with short intros and focused analysis. Balance between tactical depth and digestibility.
Tchouameni: More of the Same, and That’s a Good Thing
The other week, I wrote about Tchouameni as a pillar of Xabi Alonso’s team—Xabi’s own words. That hasn’t changed. If anything, each match at the Club World Cup has reinforced most of the narratives that were already forming. Tchouameni remains a foundational piece, but what’s evolving is the way he fulfills that role.
In the first half against Dortmund, Tchouameni read the game with Casemiro-like precision. Always in the right spot at the right time to intercept loose balls or cut out Dortmund passes. His slide tackles are coming off. His decision-making on the ball is clean and simple. And his tactical awareness is off the charts.
The Frenchman is proving to be a cerebral player. Not cerebral in the Modric or Arda Guler sense of the term, as his isn’t a style based on rhythm or disguise, but cerebral in the way he calculates, reads the game, and adjusts faster than others.
“Our system today was defined by Aurélien Tchouaméni. We let him analyze what was needed and decide where he needed to be. In some sequences, he played high, and in others, he dropped into a back five. He did it really, really well.”
What a testament to the faith Xabi Alonso has in Tchouameni, giving him the keys to dictate formation and positioning based on game state.
Fran Garcia: Redemption Arc
After the past two seasons, I was fairly convinced Fran Garcia wasn’t Real Madrid caliber. And this is coming from someone who back in 2022 pushed for Fran over Miguel Gutierrez to claim the backup left-back role.
The Club World Cup has resurrected Fran Garcia’s Real Madrid career. His performance against Dortmund was far and away his best in a Madrid shirt. The team no longer looks him off, and Fran no longer looks nervy or frenetic. Xabi Alonso’s system fits him: high energy, pace, directness, and the ability to cover massive ground on both sides of the ball. Fran Garcia has said as much in post-match press conferences, discussing the involvement of the fullbacks and the new system being tailored to his strengths.
I think the main reason we're seeing Fran re-born is that Xabi has made him feel way more important and relevant to the scheme. Fran has been vocal about it after the games: The blueprint needs his fighting presence and his overloads. I think far too often last season he was made…
— Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) July 6, 2025
Confidence is often the magic pill, and Xabi has given him a heavy dosage. If Carreras had been signed, Fran likely wouldn’t have played a minute in this tournament. Instead, he’s winning Man of the Match awards in the quarter-finals and being compared to Roberto Carlos. Not even the most optimistic fans could’ve predicted this turnaround.
Someone clip that Mbappe face of disbelief that Fran Garcia has turned into Roberto Carlos
— Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) July 5, 2025
Shape-Shifting Continues
Part of the appeal in watching Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid is the constant tactical variety. Despite the personnel staying relatively consistent, the roles and formations shift dramatically from match to match.
Against Dortmund, Fede Valverde often played as a wingback in a 5-3-2 to limit Adeyemi and Svensson’s space on Madrid’s right. Trent functioned more as a third center back. Jude operated primarily as a central outlet #10, rather than the right-sided position we had been seeing him occupy. Gonzalo Garcia even played like a right midfielder for stretches.
Tchouameni, Jude, and Fede are Xabi’s true Swiss Army knives—plugged into roles where they can exploit specific opposition weaknesses.
It’s not only the tactical set-up, the style of play shifts in-game too. In one sequence, you’ll see methodical ball circulation around the box, followed by a perfectly-timed pass splitting the defense or a low driven cross. In another, a lightning-fast counterattack starting from a Courtois throw to Arda, who immediately plays Vini into space for a shot.
Madrid have always succeeded through adaptability. Under Xabi, that chameleon-like approach has reached another level with multiple in-game shape changes and stylistic shifts. It’s made for fun viewing.