Real Madrid defeats Barca in El Clasico: Xabi Alonso's masterful victory

Real Madrid won 2-1 against Barca, with Xabi Alonso making a strong impression in his debut El Clasico as coach.

Real Madrid’s victory was a tactical battle where Xabi Alonso outsmarted Hansi Flick’s system, took bold moves, shut down Lamine Yamal, and managed Vinicius’s wildness.

Alonso’s Mark

Xabi Alonso reached his first milestone as Real Madrid’s head coach. While it wasn’t a major feat like a Champions League trophy—something the Spanish giants are very familiar with—in an El Clasico, every impact counts. It was like a spear piercing Barcelona’s core, not only hurting them during the match but also breaking the defensive logic and structure that defined Hansi Flick’s style, who replaced precision with arrogance (resulting in him sitting in the stands at Bernabeu).

This spear, reminiscent of medieval times, reinforced Xabi Alonso’s image as a coach deeply involved in the match. “Professor” Xabi boldly altered the system by starting Camavinga and substituting Vinicius despite his good performance, provoking an angry and disrespectful reaction from the player—both during the substitution and in the scuffle between the benches, as well as after the final whistle. This spear appeared just as Lamine Yamal stirred controversy by roughly accusing Real Madrid of “stealing and complaining.”