Liverpool vs Real Madrid: Xabi Alonso's special battle

Real Madrid travel to Anfield to face Liverpool, where Xabi Alonso began his journey to becoming a legend.

Alonso changes Liverpool

“ Who does this guy think he is?” Jamie Carragher , one of Liverpool’s leaders in 2004, thought as Xabi Alonso prepared to enter the Anfield dressing room.

When announcing the new contract to the team, Rafa Benitez , then Liverpool manager, said that Alonso had shown him where he could improve tactically.

Carragher once said he found it hard to accept. “I just thought: ‘You’re 22 years old, you’re from Spain and you’re telling us we’re playing wrong. First, wear this shirt,’” the legendary Liverpool defender and captain recalled.

However, that initial skepticism quickly disappeared. At the end of that season, they lifted the Champions League together. “We used to talk a lot about football. Xabi watched a lot of games,” Carragher concluded.

He is now a prolific British television commentator who still maintains a close relationship with Alonso .

Alonso returns to Anfield with Real Madrid (3am November 5 ) , which was his home from 2004 to 2009 , before moving to Bernabeu .

While most of his teammates chose to live in the suburbs, Alonso rented an apartment with large windows overlooking Albert Dock , the old port area. This was a time when the football world was not as closed off as it is now .

In those days, Xabi was comfortable letting reporters take pictures while walking along the Mersey River, and often appeared in his residential area.

“Xabi has settled into Liverpool life,” Carragher said. In the dressing room, veterans appreciate Alonso’s role as a bridge between the older generation and the new Spanish players.

Xabi's English is also quite good thanks to the summers he spent studying in Ireland.

Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final. Photo: PA

Go home

“It’s always nice to come back to a place where people love you. Liverpool had a big influence on me. With Rafa Ben Ötez , I learned that top football is not just about playing, but also about preparing and thinking about the game,” Alonso said.

“When I come back here or to Anoeta (Real Sociedad's home ground) , I try not to let my emotions overwhelm me, to focus on my work and keep the bond with the players unchanged,” he shared about the special reunion , and not the only one.

Alonso also met Florian Wirtz , who had shone brightly at Bayer Leverkusen under his guidance, but faded at Liverpool after the sensational deal .

He also welcomed former pupil Jeremie Frimpong , the right-back who replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold – who went to Real Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold's image still adorns the wall at the intersection of Sybil Street and Anfield Road, although fans remain upset about the way he left the club. Xabi, meanwhile, was greeted with a standing ovation.

In fact, this is only the second time in his career , both as a player and a coach, that Alonso has returned to Anfield as a visiting team.

Last year, he and Leverkusen were defeated 0-4 . This time, without pressure, Real Madrid saw the match as an opportunity to confirm real progress after the El Clasico .

Liverpool are now on their second-best start to a season after 14 games: 13 wins, 1 loss ; equal to the 1961/62 season under the legendary Miguel Muñoz .

In addition to expertise, the match also clearly reflected the new style that Alonso brought.

For the first time since Jos e Mourinho left Madrid in 2013, the team trained on Monday morning at Valdebebas, flew to Liverpool in the afternoon and did not set foot on Anfield , only held a press conference and attended a memorial service for the late player Diogo Jota, then went straight back to the hotel.

Alonso returned to Anfield with special emotions. Photo: EFE

It was Alonso 's personal decision. "I did the same at Leverkusen. If we train here, we would give away a lot to our opponents," he said on Monday.

“It is better to prepare in your own space, away from 200 prying cameras,” he stressed earlier on Saturday.

This approach reflects the privacy he tries to create around the dressing room, as well as in press conferences, where he appears uncomfortable being questioned too deeply.

Unlike Carlo Ancelotti at the end of his tenure, Real Madrid now run more ; their coach talks less.

The pressure is now on Liverpool, who have just stopped a slide after 6 defeats in 7 games . After Real Madrid, The Kop still have a fierce battle with Man City.

“A classic of the past and present,” Alonso said . “Xabi won the Champions League here. Everyone speaks of him with respect,” coach Arne Slot concluded.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/liverpool-dau-real-madrid-cup-c1-ngay-ve-cam-xuc-cua-xabi-alonso-2459259.html