Real Madrid head into the November international break off the back of back-to-back blunders, leaving Xabi Alonso with various issues he must analyze and fix before domestic action resumes.
The 15-time Champions League winners enjoyed a perfect start to 2025–26 under their new boss, collecting seven consecutive wins across all competitions. Even a lopsided Madrid derby defeat did little to halt the progress of Real, who then went on to string six more victories in a row.
Yet a 1–0 defeat at Anfield and a goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano in consecutive games ahead of the final international window of the year has alarm bells sounding throughout the Spanish capital. Several shortcomings are starting to become glaringly problematic, especially if Los Blancos want to snatch back their La Liga and continental crowns.
Three issues in particular need addressing—and they are ones Alonso must find solutions for if he’s to achieve his goals.
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Brahim Díaz
Brahim Díaz has underwhelmed on the right wing. / Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates /Getty Images
Question marks surround the best option for Alonso to deploy up top alongside Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé. The Spaniard has given minutes to Franco Mastantuono, Brahim Díaz, Arda Güler, Rodrygo, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, yet there has been a resounding lack of production from the right wing.
Mastantuono, who is now sidelined with a groin injury, has just one goal to his name this season while Díaz has three goal contributions in 13 appearances. Güler, Valverde and Camavinga have had spurts of magic, but they belong in the midfield. Rodrygo, meanwhile, has not found the back of the net since March.
Alonso must find a consistent solution to round out his frontline. Without a true option on the right, Real keep overloading the left flank and have become one-dimensional in the final third. The return of Trent Alexander-Arnold will help, but only if they begin spreading out their attack.
Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham has been stuck tracking back on defense for multiple teammates. / Maria Gracia Jimenez /Soccrates/Getty Images
Alonso was determined to bring a solid defensive structure to Real, one the club desperately lacked last season. The new boss reiterated the need for every player on the pitch to participate in an aggressive press and track back after losing possession.
After a trial run at the Club World Cup, Los Blancos slowly but surely put Alonso’s practices into action. Only once have Real conceded more than one goal this season, and the club has already kept eight clean sheets.
Yet in recent matches, Alonso’s men have become careless with the ball and uninterested without it. Vini Jr and Mbappé, in particular, have lost the drive to track back, leaving Jude Bellingham stuck covering ground and Aurélien Tchouaméni defending for his life in an effort to protect his backline.
Plus, Thibaut Courtois’s heroics, especially at Anfield, have made the Spanish giants look better in defense than they actually are. Alonso will need to once again instill his basic fundamentals if he wants the team to come out on top over Europe’s best.
Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé
Vinícius Júnior (left) and Kylian Mbappé have struggled in recent matches. / Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images
Mbappé’s blistering start to the season masked many of Real’s recurring problems up top. There was not much need to focus on his link up play with Vini Jr when the Frenchman was scoring in 11 consecutive matches for club and country.
Yet the goals have dried up, highlighting the same issues Los Blancos had last season: Vini Jr and Mbappé lack cohesion. The two players are on different pages more often than not, and against a capable defense, their shortcomings take center stage.
There have been countless times when Vini Jr will make runs down the left flank and look for Mbappé inside the penalty area, but the latter is not crashing the box; the France international is instead waiting to receive the ball at the edge of the area.
On other occasions, when Mbappé is seemingly in prime position to strike, Vini Jr will keep the ball for himself and rely on his dribbling ability to get past multiple defenders, which can lead to him losing possession before even trying to involve the former.
Yes, they have connected already this season, but once again, in big games when big goals are needed, they have been kept quiet. In fact, Vini Jr has not recorded a goal contribution in his last six appearances in a white shirt. Mbappé’s last goal, meanwhile, came against 17th place Valencia.
At the moment, there is little creativity between the two players against a low block, and one magical moment from either will not change the fact that they are still struggling to properly play alongside one another.
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