The Whites They struggled to break through the hosts’ rearguard, and as expected given the tight defensive lines and low blocking.
However, Kylian Mbappé’s goal in the 80th minute marked the difference between the two teams. The Whites regained pole position in La Liga before the weekend Classic.
Alonso press conference
Speaking to the media after the tough match, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso admitted that the match was much more complicated than they expected and praised his team for overcoming the obstacle.
“It was a tough, demanding game. You have to know how to compete and be prepared for a game that was not going to be the most attractive.”
“The team moved forward and knew their job. We were focused and did what we had to do. We’re going to start next week with good energy.” he added.
Speaking about how Vinicius Jr. had an important role to play that night after coming on in the 55th minute, Alonso said:
“Vini Jr. had a big impact. This morning we talked about how he could be important from the beginning or later on. He caused problems for the rivals and gave them cards.”
“It is important for everyone to know that they can be important in any role, and today Vini Jr. was important.” he added.
While Real Madrid didn’t take the lead for long, the winning goal eventually came from the usual suspect, Kylian Mbappé, who continues his impressive season in front of goal.
“We are very happy with how Kylian is doing. He has been decisive with his goals and his involvement.”
“Goals give points, but we need everyone because deep down a lot of things happen” he added.
Arda Guler started on the bench that night, but came on after the hour mark and made a tangible difference in terms of creativity. The coach praised the young Turkish star for his cameo.
“Arda also had a good impact. We found him between the lines and he found Kylian well there. The goal was crucial because there were stops and it was difficult.”
“Arda and Bellingham can play in both positions. They have different profiles. They can alternate and when Arda turns and makes a pass on the second line, it is decisive.” he added about the battle between Guler and Bellingham.
The coach also reported on the situation of Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba, who showed signs of discomfort during the match.
“I think Courtois is fine and Alaba’s calf was tightening up and we didn’t want to take any risks. We will evaluate him further tomorrow.”
Contributing his two cents on Eduardo Camavinga’s performance against Getafe, given that it was his first game as a starter for the club after returning from injury, the coach stated:
“I liked it a lot and in the first half we created a mismatch on the left wing. We needed more in the final third.”
“In this field you have to adapt well to the second ball and they only created danger on set pieces. They had a very complete performance.” he added.
Despite suffering a numerical inferiority, Getafe had a great opportunity in the final minutes of the match and only a special save by Courtois allowed Real Madrid to retain the three points.
“These are situations that should not happen with nine men. We did not close well and we did not adjust our marking. Courtois was crucial in the end.” the manager said about the situation.
“He did his job and we leave with three points, which is what we wanted. It’s over, I have three points and tomorrow I will start thinking about the next game.” he added.
Finally, Alonso talked about the big week ahead, especially with the Clásico just a week away and Juventus in midweek.
“I’m still thinking about today’s intense game. We had to roll up our sleeves. It wasn’t the most beautiful game to play or watch, but from tomorrow we will start thinking about Juve.”
Source: Real Madrid website