Transcript: Xabi Alonso Praises Gonzalo After Real Madrid's La Liga Win Vs Real Betis
Real Madrid welcomed in 2026 with an emphatic win over Real Betis at the Bernabeu. The home team scored five goals and earned a valuable three points to keep themselves on the heels of Barcelona.
All five goals were scored by academy players, with Gonzalo Garcia scoring a hat-trick. The 21-year-old started after Kylian Mbappe's injury and took advantage, with three good finishes.
Head coach Xabi Alonso was pleased with his side's performances and praised Vinicius Jr., Eduardo Camavinga, Rodrygo, and others. He knows another important match is coming up for Los Blancos in the Spanish Super Cup this week.
Xabi Alonso spoke to the media after the 5-1 win against Real betis at the Bernabeu (per Real Madrid).
"It was an important and well-deserved win to start the year at home. It's important to start like this: calmly and with good feelings heading into the Super Cup . I value the victory in terms of La Liga . Barcelona won yesterday, and we have to win a lot of games. It was the last match of the first half of the season, and we've already reached 45 points. That would put us at 90 in La Liga. The average has to be winning many games in the remaining fixtures. The pace is going to be intense for what's to come. From tomorrow onwards, we're only thinking about the Super Cup."Xabi Alonso
Q: Gonzalo's performance:
Alonso: "It was a dream match for him. Playing at the Bernabéu, his first season with the first team, and scoring a hat-trick . He was eager to score in this stadium, and I'm happy for him and for his daily work, both when he's playing and when he's not. His attitude is impressive, and he's a great example of what it means to be a Real Madrid youth player. I congratulate him on his performance, on the hat-trick , and I encourage him to keep it up."
“Football demands teamwork with and without the ball. Forwards initiate the press, defend in the high press, the height of the pressing moments… Gonzalo understands that very well; he has a lot of aggression, very good acceleration, a very good pressing moment, and he also has an eye for goal, which is fundamental. If you add that defensive ability to that ability to score goals, it greatly helps to make the team's defensive balance much better.”
🫂 Hugs all round! 🫂 pic.twitter.com/4r7iIvXsX6
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 4, 2026
Q: All five goals were scored by academy players:
Alonso: “That’s fantastic. The fact that all five goals were scored by academy players is great news because of all the hard work being done, and because they always rise to the occasion. Those who deserve it get the chance. This is football, and the pitch can make or break you. When you perform well, it’s because you’ve been working hard and have had a good attitude.”
Q: Can you fit in with all the forwards?
Alonso: “It’s my decision. There are many matches and we’ll have to see what the circumstances and needs are. We can’t rule anything out.”
Q: On Vini Jr.:
Alonso: “He contributed a lot. He came on really well into the game. He was very disruptive, especially in the first half. He's persistent and contributes to the team. I liked his performance, with everything he gave us, and he's going to be fundamental. Now we face Atlético in the Super Cup and it's going to be very important.”
“He’s a mature player, and we’re all here to support each other. We want to give our best, both as a team and individually. He is, he will be, he has been, and he will be fundamental to Real Madrid. I’m sure the Bernabéu will applaud him. I have no doubt.”
🙌 Y NADA MÁS 🙌 pic.twitter.com/o31QO1TiLc
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 4, 2026
Q: Regarding the performances of Rodrygo and Camavinga:
Alonso: “We need everyone, but especially Eduardo, because of injuries. He’s been in and out of the game and hasn’t been able to maintain that consistency in training and matches to keep improving. Hopefully, he will, because we know his quality, energy, and dynamism. He’s a difficult player to stop when he gets going, and he’s capable of breaking lines. We need balance. Rodrygo can play in all three attacking positions, and the more we link up with him, the better the subsequent play tends to be. We need him at his best, and he played a complete game. We’re just starting the year.”
Q: Mbappé's recovery:
Alonso: "It's not completely ruled out, and we'll wait to see how he feels until Tuesday when we travel. We'll make the decision then. We're still exploring all his options."
Q: Tchouameni's substitution due to discomfort:
Alonso: "He's definitely going to Saudi Arabia."
Q: Praise for Courtois:
Alonso: “The goalkeeper’s involvement is very important, and he’s eager to understand how we can improve our build-up play. We have to use him like any other player. He has good footwork, a good understanding of the game, and we can use him as a free-roaming player. He likes it, and we work a lot with him on it.”
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