Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso reveals what went wrong against Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso has admitted his side were second best after suffering a heavy 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital derby.

The loss at the Wanda Metropolitano was Alonso’s first in La Liga since replacing Carlo Ancelotti, and it came in painful fashion.

Despite briefly leading 2-1 through strikes from Kylian Mbappe and youngster Arda Guler, Los Blancos crumbled under Atletico’s intensity. Julian

Alvarez proved decisive with two goals, including a superbly executed free-kick that left the Madrid defence helpless.

To make matters worse, captain Dani Carvajal limped off with a right-leg injury that is expected to sideline him for up to a month.

Reflecting on the performance, Alonso did not hide his disappointment. He said:

It was a bad game. We didn’t play well collectively, with or without the ball. There are no excuses. We were lacking a gear. This defeat hurts.

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Xabi Alonso explains what went wrong

The coach pointed to his team’s inability to control possession or dictate the tempo against Diego Simeone’s men. Alonso explained:

We weren’t fluid with the ball. We weren’t able to win the ball in their half. We couldn’t impose ourselves in the duels…We won’t forget this tough defeat, it hurts us.

The result highlights the challenges still facing the former midfield maestro in his first season at the helm.

While Madrid have impressed in earlier fixtures, their collapse against their neighbours exposed vulnerabilities that will need quick fixing if they are to remain in the title race.

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Meanwhile, Los Blancos will hope to bounce back with a victory when they face Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.