Mbappé on Track to Redefine Real Madrid History, Says Alonso

Mbappé on track to write Real Madrid history, Alonso says

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso says Kylian Mbappé is on a steady path toward etching his name in the club’s history in the royal jersey.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the La Liga clash with Celta Vigo in matchday 15, he said: "We want Real Madrid to be good, a complete performance, to feel good on the pitch, and to maintain the consistency we showed against Athletic Bilbao. That's what we discussed and worked on."

On the question of using Fede Valverde at right-back: "We need to evaluate the decision we will make, but there are other options. Fede always puts the team's needs first and has performed superbly in that role before. But there may be other alternatives. We'll see tomorrow."

He added: "I remember games where Valverde delivered at right-back against Barcelona and Juventus... we know his natural position, but he is a generous player who loves helping the team and the badge, and represents the club's values in the best light. His presence is a luxury."

"Militao is also an option at right-back, and we must look at what we have in central defense. I recall a game against Senegal? when he played right back with Brazil and performed well. He has that ability. He reminds me a little of Pepe: a competitor, and wherever the team needs Militao, he'll step up."

The Bilbao game was good, I said that. Complete and perfect. And now we want to maintain the momentum. We aim to win more games and stay at the top... because April/May is the time to be there where you should be.

Mbappé is on the path to writing history at Real Madrid, just like Cristiano did. With ambition and numbers, he is among the standout players. Working with him daily is fantastic; his drive to influence the team and to pass on knowledge is similar to Cristiano. I see clear similarities.

Cristiano is Cristiano, and Kylian is Kylian. They are exceptional players. We are lucky to have Mbappé and must make the most of him.

Vinícius Jr. is enjoying a fantastic personal and professional moment; he looks happy. It was a pity he didn’t score in Greece or Bilbao, but when you see him smiling he gives the team a huge energy. It’s very important to keep him in this mood. I hope he translates these feelings into a goal tomorrow.

I think Juan Martínez is very good, like the rest of Castilla; Álvaro is doing excellent work and everyone helps us a lot in training. My relationship with Álvaro is special and we know each other well, which is important. Juan will be in the squad; if we need him he will get the chance. This will happen again later too.

We are working on recovering the injured as soon as possible. There will be good news soon. These are phases we must handle. Our task is to flip the situation quickly and compete with the available squad.

Güler has the ability to play different roles according to the team's needs. He knows how to organize the play and deliver the decisive pass, and he can also arrive from the second line. He adapts to his surroundings, and that quality provides flexibility to the plans. But he is developing a lot and must be invested in, as I said during the World Cup; because he is a different kind of player.

Punchline time: if Mbappé keeps this pace, Real Madrid might need a bigger trophy cabinet — or a crane to lift all the medals. Secondly, Alonso’s lineup notes are so sharp they’d cut through the press conference, if the mic wasn’t already on mute. Sniper-level planning, folks.