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| XABI ALONSO Real Madrid coach |
The relentless demands of modern football often reduce the beautiful game to a battle of attrition, and nowhere is this more evident right now than in the corridors of Valdebebas.
Just hours before a critical La Liga showdown against Girona this Sunday. Matchday 14 of a grueling campaign. Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has been dealt yet another crushing blow. It is a storyline that has become all too familiar this season, a narrative of frustration that threatens to derail the momentum of the reigning European champions.
According to exclusive reports from Miguel Ángel Díaz, a renowned journalist for COPE, the defensive crisis has deepened significantly. Writing on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Díaz confirmed the latest casualty: "Raúl Asencio will not travel to Girona. He joins the growing list of absentees for the match, a list that already includes Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen, and David Alaba."
For Alonso, this is not just a squad selection headache; it is a tactical emergency.
A Season of Constant Improvisation
To understand the gravity of the situation facing the Basque tactician, one must look beyond a single match. The statistics paint a picture of a team searching for identity amidst chaos.
This season, Alonso has been forced to navigate a defensive labyrinth that would baffle even the most experienced managers. Due to a relentless wave of injuries, Real Madrid has fielded 12 different defensive lineups in just 18 matches. This lack of continuity is staggering for a club of Madrid's stature, where defensive solidity is traditionally the bedrock of title charges.
Instead of fine-tuning a championship-winning machine, Alonso has spent the first half of the season plugging holes. The manager finds himself trapped in a loop of constant adjustment, seeking stability in an environment where the variables change almost weekly.
As reported by the Spanish outlet AS, the recent Champions League outing against Olympiacos in Athens featured a backline that had literally never played together before. Yet, heartbreakingly for the coaching staff, this scenario. fielding strangers next to each other. has become the rule rather than the exception since the season kicked off.
The inability to field a consistent back four doesn't just hurt the defense; it exposes goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois a
nd disrupts the rhythm of the entire team.
The Vision That Was Lost
When Xabi Alonso took the reins, he arrived with a crystal-clear vision for his Real Madrid project. Tactical analysts and insiders noted his preferred setup early in the preseason: a dynamic, modern defense capable of playing out from the back while maintaining physical dominance.
His "Plan A" was formidable:
- Center Backs: The pairing of Eder Militao and the talented young Dean Huijsen.
- Left Back: Alvaro Carreras, providing width and pace.
- Right Back: A rotation between the veteran Dani Carvajal and the creative powerhouse Trent Alexander-Arnold.
This blueprint was showcased in the La Liga opener against Osasuna and continued through home fixtures at the Santiago Bernabéu against Mallorca and Marseille. For a fleeting moment, it worked. The chemistry was building.
However, football is cruel. Just as the quartet began to gel, the dominoes started to fall. Trent Alexander-Arnold suffered an injury early in the match against Marseille. By the time the Englishman was fit to return to the starting XI, Eder Militao had taken his place in the treatment room. It has been a cruel game of musical chairs where the music never stops, but the chairs keep disappearing.
Finding Solace in the "Valverde Solution"
Despite the turmoil, Alonso’s tactical acumen has shone through, specifically in how he has utilized the versatility of his squad.
AS highlights that one specific lineup managed to provide a semblance of stability during the season's toughest stretch. The quartet of Carvajal, Militao, Huijsen, and Carreras became the go-to formation for high-stakes encounters, starting against Real Sociedad and in the fiery Madrid Derby against Atlético.
Furthermore, in El Clásico. the match that defines Spanish football—Alonso deployed what might be considered his most trusted available setup. He shifted Federico Valverde to right-back, pairing him with Militao, Huijsen, and Carreras. This wasn't just a desperate measure; it was a tactical masterstroke that provided balance against Barcelona’s wingers.
This specific unit (Valverde-Militao-Huijsen-Carreras) proved to be the "iron lung" of the defense, playing together against Villarreal, Valencia, and in the crucial Champions League tie against Liverpool. Statistically, this has been the most repeated defensive lineup, featuring in four matches.
The "Survivors": A Fragmented Spine
If we look closely at the data, stripping away the turbulent right-back position, a pattern of reliance emerges. The trio of Militao, Huijsen, and Carreras has started together in 9 out of the 18 matches played this season.
They are the survivors. the only thread of continuity in a backline that has suffered more physical trauma than any other sector of the pitch.
However, with the news breaking today that Huijsen is now among the injured (alongside Asencio, Carvajal, and Alaba), that fragile spine has been snapped once again. Alonso is now stripped of his most consistent partnership.
The Girona Challenge: More Than Just Three Points
As Real Madrid travels to Montilivi to face a dangerous Girona side, the stakes are incredibly high. Girona, known for their attacking flair and fearlessness at home, will undoubtedly look to exploit Madrid's makeshift defense.
For Xabi Alonso, the puzzle is no longer about "who is the best option?" but rather "who is left standing?"
He must now ask young players to step up into a pressure cooker, or ask midfielders to drop back and learn new roles overnight. It is a test of character for the squad and a test of ingenuity for the manager.
The fans demanding silverware may look at the table, but those watching closely see a team fighting a battle against their own physiology. Can Real Madrid’s "next man up" mentality survive another hit? Today against Girona, we will find out if Alonso can solve a puzzle that keeps changing its shape.
Key Match Facts: Girona vs. Real Madrid
- Competition: La Liga EA Sports – Matchday 14
- Venue: Estadi Montilivi, Girona
- Key Absentees (Real Madrid): Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Dean Huijsen, Raúl Asencio.
- Manager Spotlight: Xabi Alonso faces his toughest tactical test of the month.