Ahead of El Clásico, Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso made his expectations clear for the French star.
Kylian Mbappé has been in superb form, finding the net almost every match. But Alonso wants more than just goals — he wants the French forward to be more effective in every aspect of play.
Real Madrid will face Barcelona on Sunday in the season’s first El Clásico. The La Liga clash at Santiago Bernabéu kicks off at 9:15 PM Bangladesh time.
Madrid enter the game in strong form, having won their last four matches across all competitions. Alonso hopes to keep that winning run going against their archrivals.
“I’m seeing Mbappé in great shape. Everyone is highly motivated and hungry for victory. They’ve recovered well from the Juventus game. Tomorrow (Sunday) it’s time to give our best,” said Alonso.
Before the Juventus clash in the Champions League, Mbappé had scored in 11 straight matches for club and country. However, the World Cup winner is often caught offside — something Alonso wants to address.
“With the quality our players have, offside can happen, but we need to work on it more. We have to be careful about where the passes come from. Small details make the biggest difference,” Alonso explained.
The Real Madrid boss also shared what he expects from the 26-year-old forward.
“I want to see how he can be even more effective and decisive — not just in scoring goals. The team as a whole is improving,” he said.
Real Madrid currently lead La Liga with 24 points from nine games, while defending champions Barcelona sit second, just two points behind.
