It has been an intriguing start to Alonso’s life as Real Madrid head coach. Appointed at the end of last season, the former World Cup-winning midfielder’s first assignment was participating in the Club World Cup with a half-fit squad. Madrid reached the semi-finals, where they were handed a brutal reality check at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. 

Then, following a shortened pre-season, Alonso’s troops got the 2025-26 season off to a splendid start. They won the first six games of the La Liga season, before being demolished by their neighbouring rivals Atletico Madrid 5-2 at the Metropolitano in September. That defeat would only turn out to be a small blip, as Madrid won the next seven games on the trot, including a brilliant win over Barcelona at the Bernabeu last month. 

While they have failed to win their last two games across all competitions, this Madrid team under Alonso has proved that they have a higher floor then they did in the calamitous 2024-25 season, during which they failed to win major silverware. The likes of Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler have become pillars of the squad, with the France captain off to a blazing start after scoring 18 goals in 16 games.Â