Xabi Alonso warned that his side are “still building” even though he has the opportunity to match the greatest start ever made by a Real Madrid manager in Saturday’s derby against Atlético Madrid.
The former Bayer Leverkusen boss collected his sixth consecutive La Liga win on Tuesday night, overseeing a comfortable 4–1 stroll away to Levante. Kylian Mbappé was once again on target, taking his swollen tally to seven league goals with another brace, while Vinícius Júnior delivered the perfect response to reports of his frustration with a delicious finish curved with the outside of his boot inside the far post.
Should Alonso extend his winning streak to seven straight league matches this weekend, he would match the all-time record set by Vanderlei Luxemburgo in 2005. The divisive Brazilian boss enjoyed the longest run of top-flight victories in Madrid’s history after taking over a team of glittering Galácticos at the turn of the year.
Despite the bright beginning, it all ended in tears for Luxemburgo. Madrid failed to win a single trophy that season, finishing second in La Liga to Barcelona while getting knocked out of the Champions League last 16. Even though they were able to call upon the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Raúl, Madrid were humiliated in the Copa del Rey by second-tier Real Valladolid.
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Xabi Alonso: Start is Just the Beginning
Keen to avoid a repeat of that false dawn, Alonso stressed that his Madrid side are still in the early stages of an ongoing evolution. “We’re very much in a growing phase, we’re still building,” he warned. “We’ve been together for 51 days and there is a long way to go yet. We’re building a solid base to be competitive in La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa [del Rey].
“They [the players] all feel connected and an important part of the team. There is still room for improvement but we’re on the right track—not only with the results but also how we’re doing things. We can’t stop, this is just the beginning and we want to keep competing well.
“Having quality players makes everything easier, and it doesn’t take much training for them to understand our ideas and what we’re looking for. They’re flexible, they’re not tied to playing in one specific way, they can do all kinds of things and even play different positions.”
Alonso may fancy his chances of matching Luxemburgo’s landmark against a woefully out-of-form Atlético side. Diego Simeone’s underperforming outfit have collected just one win from their first five games across all competitions this term.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Xabi Alonso Fires Warning, Eyes 20-Year Record in Madrid Derby.