Alonso: We are just at the beginning, and we delivered a complete performance
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso appeared in a press conference after the victory over Levante 4-1 in the sixth round of the Spanish league.
The coach said: "We just finished the match, and I was only thinking about the day and our goal. Starting tomorrow, we will think about the derby match. It was a very complete performance from the team. Vinicius delivered a decisive performance and was very important."
He added: "We are in a growth phase, and we are still in the building stage. It has been 51 days since we arrived here, and there is still a long way to go. We are building a solid foundation to be competitive in La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey."
He continued: "Many members of the team feel connected and important. There are still some things that need improvement, but the path is positive; not only because of the results but also because of our working style. We have to continue; we cannot stop. This is just the beginning, and we want to continue competing strongly."
Regarding rotation and system changes: "Having outstanding players makes things much easier. They understand the idea and what we want with little training; they are flexible and can play not just in one way but in different ways, and even in different positions. Today we saw that the time was right because some players needed rest, like Militao and Carvajal. After their injuries, we didn't want them to play three consecutive matches of ninety minutes each. Everyone who came on as a substitute performed wonderfully. We also don't want to get too tense. We are on a good path, we are happy, and we have to keep going. Now we think about the derby."
He elaborated on Camavinga's role: "You have already seen him. He started off at a tremendous speed; he is a very dynamic player and possesses many qualities. He has been with me since I joined the club, but he wasn't available, and he has started to gain more minutes gradually. Jude has also received more playing time, and that is very important."
About the match, he concluded: "We had the opportunity before the end of the first half to score the third goal, and even the fourth. We had many chances, and a 2-0 score can sometimes be misleading because you seem to be leading by a large margin, but it can fade. Clearly, after Levante's goal to make it 2-1, the score and the match became more balanced. I don't know how many minutes passed, but it wasn't long before we scored 3-1, and Levante couldn't respond significantly. We controlled the match well and scored the fourth goal. It was a strong and complete match. It is not easy to come here and win and play this way.
