doubts remain over Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid
Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid seemed to have dispelled all doubts about their form after a convincing victory over Barcelona in El Clasico more than 10 days ago.
However, the defeat to Liverpool - and the way it happened - has made fans question more. This was not a collapse like the 0-4 loss to Paris Saint-Germain at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 or the 2-5 defeat to Atletico in the Madrid derby, but it is clear that Los Blancos were behind Liverpool. The Kop played better in all aspects and they could have won even more if they had taken advantage of the opportunity.
Before the match, Alonso shared about the typical atmosphere at Anfield: "The moments when the stadium explodes will create positive energy for Liverpool".
Indeed, Real Madrid felt that, but could not take advantage. Despite playing confidently, they only created a really clear opportunity for Bellingham before the break. In addition to that situation, the "White Vultures" almost did not create significant pressure. This is a disappointing thing for the team that owns stars like Bellingham, Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
The addition of Eduardo Camavinga has not made a difference, while Alonso's substitutions - including Rodrygo, Alexander-Arnold and Brahim Diaz - have not been effective. The Spaniard admitted that his team is still in the process of building, only in the early stages and far from the peak form.
This performance, despite facing a classy opponent like Liverpool - a team struggling in the Premier League - shows that Real Madrid still need more time. They have to improve strongly if they want to make their mark in Europe this season.
Kylian Mbappe is quiet again at Anfield
Mbappe has been almost unstoppable throughout this season, until he set foot in Anfield. Before the match, the French striker scored 18 goals in 14 matches, including 5 in the Champions League. However, against Liverpool, he rarely created a real threat.
This performance is reminiscent of last season, when Mbappe started the campaign in an unstable mood. The highlight was a penalty miss at Anfield in Real Madrid's 0-2 loss on November 27. Just a week later, he missed another penalty in La Liga, and admitted that it was a "bottom-range" in his career.
A year later, the defeat at Anfield this time cannot be blamed on Mbappe. He lacked support when his teammates on the attack line played poorly, while Liverpool perfectly controlled the game, keeping Madrid at a safe distance.
Even the rare moments when Mbappe creates opportunities do not follow his wishes. In the 17th minute, he fired the first shot but the ball went over the bar. 20 minutes later, the intentional heel hit did not reach his teammate's feet, causing a promising counter-attack to be stopped.
The French international's clearest chance came in the 75th minute, after a pass from Vinicius. However, Mbappe's shot missed and flew over the bar. Off the touchline, Alonso burst into disappointment, understanding that one of Real Madrid's rare chances in the whole match had unfortunately passed.
"There are many ways to lose, but today is a different defeat. We fought hard, showed a good attitude, but a few unnecessary fouls caused the team to lose the initiative" - Alonso said after the match.
