Xabi Alonso: “We're full of energy and eager to prolong this moment”
"We're playing at home and we want to perform well and win," added the Real Madrid coach.
Xabi Alonso spoke in the press room ahead of Real Madrid’s game against Espanyol at the Bernabéu (Saturday, 4.15 pm CEST). The coach had this to say: “Espanyol are in good form and we're also full of energy and eager to prolong this moment. Tomorrow, we have a demanding match ahead of us. They're a team with great pace and intensity, but we're playing at home and we want to perform well, play good football and win.”
Huijsen’s absence
“I'm not surprised. I'd have liked the decision to go the other way. But it's not going to be possible to have Dean for tomorrow. I'd have liked to have him after not being able to play him for 60 minutes at Anoeta. If it was a mistake, it should have consequences, but it doesn't seem to have been the case. Let's leave it at that.”
Will Valverde play at right-back again?
“Nothing is guaranteed and it's complicated in football. Fede will play in midfield, which is his position. The other day, he gave the team what it needed and collectively, he was very generous. He's essential in the system and hopefully he won't have to play at right-back, but you can't say he never will.”
Mbappé
“There are a lot of games. I'm sure there will be some games where he won't start. We have to accept it as normal. You have to know how to distribute the load. A player can't play everything. Kylian is very important, but there will be some days when he won't start. We've played five games and sometimes we want to draw conclusions about the whole season. We're going to wait for a bit more time to see where things are going.”
Vini Jr.
“He looks good. Seeing him from the outside is very different. Yesterday I didn't think it was the right time to talk to him, but today he had a bigger smile on his face and was more positive. I talked to him, and at the end, I did some individual things with him during the training session. Tomorrow we'll see.”
Will Jude, Camavinga and Endrick get minutes?
"Perhaps. You have to look at the context of the game. I'd like to see them get some minutes. Endrick is also in the squad. There are five games until the next break and it's good news that we have Edu [Camavinga] and Jude. Endrick has been in less training, but he's ready to be called up."
Expectations for this game
"In the last two games we have had good first halves and in the second we have been affected by the cards; both in Anoeta and against Olympique. The context takes you in a different direction. We want to have that feeling of control that we're creating for more phases of the game. That will give us emotional stability so that we don't get too excited. We have to get the right amount of alertness to be right in the game. When you overdo it, you make the wrong decisions and we want to be in the right place. The longer control phases will help us to get things going in our direction."
Support from Rodrygo
"Rodrygo brings us quality, movement and the ability to link up with others. Vini has that too. They are two players who have a great impact. Both when they’ve started and when they've come on, they've had a very good impact. It's a position where we are very well covered."
Simeone’s situation at Anfield
"In an ideal world, we wouldn't have to endure such situations. I haven't had to suffer too much, but other colleagues have suffered more. Unfortunately, you have to know how to live with it because sometimes it can take you out of the situation you have to be in. You see unpleasant situations, regardless of whether you experience them or not. This has got out of hand for a long time now."
Reunion with Mourinho
"I had the chance to face him when I was at Leverkusen and he was at Roma. In January, we will meet again. It'll be special for all of us, but especially for him. He had three very intense years here. He was important in the process we were in at the time. He still has a lot of affection for the club, you can see that. We'll see how the two teams get to the last Champions League matchday."
Vini Jr.’s form
"As I said before. Yesterday wasn't the time to talk. You have to have that intuition and today we talked a bit. We finished the session with a good feeling. We've played five league games, there's still a lot left. This is a marathon until May. We have to go little by little in our evaluations. We have to give everyone time, both the team and the individual players."
Camavinga’s position
"For me, he's a midfielder. He is very complete and can play in other positions. But where I see him, and where I'd like to be able to play with him, is in midfield, either as a six or as an eight. He has plenty of abilities and now we have to integrate him into the collective quality that we want to give the team with and without the ball."
How would he describe himself?
"I don't usually do that. A coach, I'll leave it there for now. Good or bad, it's up to you to decide."
Team attributes
"For me, there are many important players in this squad we have: by level, by experience, by career and by what they are going to give us. Vinicius is one of them, Kylian is another. There are others like Dean who are just starting out. Those labels we want to put on them, I'm not going to go there right now. I value them all very much. I know what their role is. I need to make the team so that everyone feels important. The path is being laid, there's still a long way to go. Everyone is in the boat and I need us to row in the same direction."