Despite murmurs of dressing room discontent, Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid are rolling. Their 4–0 victory over Valencia means they remain five points clear at the top of La Liga, but a tough away day beckons in Europe on Tuesday night.
Madrid have beaten Liverpool in a pair of Champions League finals since 2018, but the Reds prevailed in their previous head-to-head tussle. It was a rare triumph for the Premier League club, but one which indicated the directions the two teams would be heading in 2024–25.
A campaign without a major piece of silverware rendered Carlo Ancelotti surplus to requirements, and although Alonso has had some issues keeping everybody within his superstar-laden squad happy, his team look well set to compete on multiple fronts deep into the season.
Alonso endured a 5–0 battering on his maiden Anfield return as a manager with Bayer Leverkusen last season, so the man in the away dugout will be aiming to enjoy a more fruitful return this time around. To give himself the best chance of doing so, he could select the XI that beat Barcelona in the first Clásico of the season.
