Xabi Alonso promised Real Madrid will learn from Saturday’s humiliating 5-2 Derby defeat against Atletico Madrid and said that there could be no excuse for the Under-Par display of his team.
Madrid approached the game on Saturday after having won their first five games under Alonso in Laliga, giving the former midfielder the opportunity to supervise their first seven-match winning streak from the start of a campaign since 1987-88.
It seemed to go well after goals from Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler they placed 2-1 in the first half, but Alexander Sorloth made it right just before the break.
And after the interval, two Julian Alvarez goals gave one of the penalty spot and the other of a free kick-athleti daylight, with Antoine Griezmann who added further shine to the score.
Speaking after the defeat, which gives Barcelona the chance to move the top of Laliga when they organize Real Sociedad on Sunday, Alonso said: “It was a bad game.
“We didn’t start well. We didn’t play well collective, we were not at our level.
“We are still in a construction phase and we have to draw conclusions because they will serve us for the future. There are no excuses, it is a deserved defeat. We missed a lot.
“Today the team does not compete at the level required in these competitions. We will have to increase our level.”
Madrid only achieved six shots with a total expected goals (XG) value of 0.66, compared to Atletico recording 13 attempts worth 2.34 xg.
Jude Bellingham got his first start of the season, after he had made a handful of replacement performances after repairing a shoulder operation.
But the international in England only succeeded one shot with an XG value of 0.03, while he only created one chance for a teammate and lost seven times.
Some spectators accused Alonso of starting a player who was not yet match, but the Madrid -Baas had no doubts about the involvement of Bellingham.
“He trained well. We were not fluent; without him we lost the duels.
“We will then analyze our decisions. We will not forget this heavy defeat. It is a development process. We must be critical, analyze why and try to improve.”
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