Xabi Alonso breaks a historic record with Real Madrid in Greece
Real Madrid defeated Olympiacos at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium. This fact may seem irrelevant, but the reality is quite the opposite, as the Spanish giants had never won a match in Greece before. Last night, they did so for the first time.
Xabi Alonso had emphasized this in the pre-match press conference, aiming to highlight how difficult it is to play in Greece. Fortunately, the team overcame both the intense atmosphere and the early 1–0 setback to come away with all three points. That said, the victory came with a few concerns.
The most important thing, of course, was to return to winning ways, especially after going three consecutive matches without a victory. At the top levels of the club in Chamartín, they were eager for a positive result to calm the waters, as recent weeks had been complicated.
It is true, however, that the overall feeling is not entirely positive, particularly regarding the defensive line. Xabi Alonso himself also did not emerge fully strengthened, as some of his substitutions left much to be desired. Even so, the key point is that Real Madrid won, and the coach from Tolosa can breathe a bit easier.
An important victory
Beyond the team’s performance, it is worth highlighting that Real Madrid, unlike last season, is very close to securing a top-eight finish in the Champions League league phase. This is fantastic news, as finishing among the top eight grants direct qualification to the Round of 16, avoiding an additional knockout round.
The objective is not yet secured, although it is very close. At Valdebebas, the belief is that winning two of the three remaining games will be enough to achieve it. The next opponent is Manchester City, who will visit the Bernabéu on December 10. Real Madrid will then finish the phase with a home match against AS Monaco and an away trip to Portugal to face José Mourinho’s Benfica.
