Coach Xabi Alonso is thrilled with the newly signed left-back, saying, “Carreras is excellent in almost everything.”
By the 64th minute of the match, Vedat Muriqi’s shot was blocked by Thibaut Courtois. The rebound fell to Eder Militao, but he couldn’t clear it properly. The ball then reached Samu Costa, and Real Mallorca’s Portuguese midfielder unleashed a thunderous volley. Courtois was out of position, and it seemed like a certain goal—but in an incredible display of speed and reflexes, Álvaro Carreras stretched out his right foot to clear the ball, saving Real Madrid from conceding.
Even though Real came from behind to win 2-1, with goals from Arda Güler and Vinicius Júnior, Carreras’ crucial intervention helped secure all three points on Saturday in La Liga. That memorable save was just part of an outstanding overall performance from the 22-year-old left-back, who has been impressive throughout the match. Carreras himself is overjoyed to be at his dream club, and Coach Xabi Alonso couldn’t hide his excitement about him.
Carreras’ journey began in Real Madrid’s academy during his formative years. At age nine, he joined Deportivo La Coruña’s academy, spending five years there before moving to Real Madrid’s youth setup at age 14. After three years, he moved to Manchester United, though he didn’t break into the senior team. Instead, he played on loan at Preston, Granada, and Benfica. Last year, Benfica signed him on a five-year contract, where his performances impressed so much that Real Madrid brought him back this season for €5 million.
Thrilled to return to his dream club, Carreras joined the team after the Club World Cup and has been excellent from the start, quickly establishing himself in a squad like Real Madrid.
After his standout performance against Mallorca, Carreras said, “From the first day after signing here, I promised myself that I would give everything and contribute to the team in every possible way.”
He added, “The dream nights have begun. I’m super-happy here. Today, the most important thing was to get the three points.”
Carreras’ signing was largely driven by Xabi Alonso, whose insistence played a key role in bringing him to the club.
Alonso remains impressed by Carreras’ performances: “I’ve been following him for a while, and I was very happy when he joined us. We couldn’t get him during the Club World Cup, but later we did. This is the level of performance you expect from him—his quality is exceptional. He is excellent in almost everything and is a fantastic addition to the squad, both now and for the future.”
