“He is a unique player” : Xabi Alonso heaps praise on Lamine Yamal, but states preparations remain the same ahead of the Supercopa final against Barcelona
Real Madrid saw off Atletico Madrid in the Supercopa semifinals by a score-line of 2-1, as goals from Federico Valverde and Rodrygo helped them secure a passage into the finals. Xabi Alonso’s men will now face Barcelona in the finals on Sunday, in what promises to be another thrilling encounter.
For Barcelona, the passage into the finals was rather comfortable, as they defeated Athletic Club 5-0 in the semifinals. Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso heaped praise on Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, claiming the Spaniard is a unique player.
However, Xabi Alonso refused to change his preparations because of just one player, and stated that his side will stick to the plan. “The level he has given is fantastic. He’s a different player. It does not condition the preparation. He is a unique player, but the approach is the same,” said Alonso.
Xabi Alonso also provided an update on Kylian Mbappe, who has missed Real Madrid’s last two matches owing to a sprain in his let knee. Alonso stated that the Frenchman will be reassessed before the match, and then a decision will be taken on his involvement in the final.
“He is much better. The idea before starting was that he arrived right against Atlético and we decided not to accelerate, but if we reached the final, always according to his feelings, let him come. When I train today we will have all the information to evaluate it and if it is to play at the beginning or play a little less,” said Alonso.
Real Madrid broke their streak of consecutive losses against Barcelona in October last year, as they defeated Barcelona 2-1 at the Bernabeu. Xabi Alonso has relieved some pressure on himself, by securing a win over Real Betis and Atletico Madrid at the turn of the year.
Xabi Alonso also spoke if he would refer to the first Clasico of the season as the reference point. “The response is similar to before the Atleti match. The Metropolitan game was not a reference, but we did not forget. Now, the same. The context may be different. Tomorrow will be a game with moments for everything. That we feel convinced and with the necessary energy will be very important,” he added.
