Xabi Alonso Shifts Focus to Liverpool After Real Madrid’s 4-0 Triumph Over Valencia
Real Madrid maintained their impressive momentum on Saturday night, sweeping aside Valencia with a dominant 4-0 win in La Liga. But for Xabi Alonso, celebrations were brief — his mind was already on the looming Champions League showdown with Liverpool.
The Spanish giants will host Arne Slot’s side on Tuesday night in their fourth group-stage encounter, and Alonso made it clear that preparations began the moment the final whistle blew.
“Things went well today. In the second half, we controlled the game intelligently because we were already thinking about Tuesday,” Alonso told reporters after the win.
“Some players have logged many minutes recently, so we had to manage energy carefully. From tomorrow, everything is about Liverpool — that’s our main focus.”
The emphatic victory over Valencia keeps Madrid in top domestic form as Alonso gears up for another emotional return to Anfield — his second visit as a manager. His previous trip came with Bayer Leverkusen, when his side fell 4-0 to Liverpool in the Champions League last season.
Liverpool, meanwhile, head to Spain in better spirits after ending a four-game Premier League losing streak. Arne Slot’s men restored confidence with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Anfield, benefitting from a goalkeeping mistake and a lucky deflection.
“I’m pleased with the performance and the result,” Slot said afterward.
“It’s exactly what we needed — from the players and the supporters. Maybe fortune favored us a bit today, but the reaction was outstanding.”
After three group matches, Liverpool sit on six points following victories over Atlético Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt, while Real Madrid remain unbeaten in their campaign.
With both teams rediscovering form and belief, Tuesday’s clash at the Santiago Bernabéu is set to be another electrifying European night — and Alonso is already making a scare
