Defending Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid star owns up
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Xabi Alonso: “We have to build on the good things we did today”
“I just answered that. We’re all in this together, through the good times and the not-so-good times. Today the team competed very well, given the circumstances. Unity is fundamental. It’s the only way that the daily grind will give us the improvement we want.”
Speculation around Real Madrid's search for a potential successor to the under-pressure Xabi Alonso has intensified, but Red Bull chief Oliver Mintzlaff has shut down hopes of luring Jurgen Klopp back to the dugout.
A comfortable win is expected against Alavés, and no problems should be encountered in the Copa del Rey round of 32 against third-tier CF Talavera. A mid-table Sevilla are next on the agenda, and Madrid officials believe anything less than three impressive wins from that trio of fixtures would be unacceptable.