Maximum excitement in Madrid, no one expected what happened in the 75th minute: Xabi Alonso responsible

Last night, Real Madrid managed to defeat Salzburg 3-0 in the last match of the Club World Cup group stage. Thanks to this victory, Xabi Alonso's side advance to the next round of the tournament, where they'll face a historic team like Juventus. The Basque coach's influence is gradually taking effect and the fans are already seeing the results of so much hard work.

Beyond the result achieved against Salzburg, Real Madrid's fans are truly excited and hopeful because of the sensations and the approach the team showed. Xabi Alonso finally dared to change the classic 4-3-3 and chose to try his luck with the system he had been using in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen. A 3-5-2 that allowed Madrid to be more organized in defense and very aggressive in attack.

Xabi Alonso starts to find the key

After the first two matches, Xabi Alonso said enough and has started to make truly significant decisions against Salzburg. To begin with, Tchouaméni will have to start accepting that he'll play as a center-back for almost the entire season, since the three-man defense, with him in the middle, worked wonderfully. In addition, Arda Güler's presence as playmaker also stood out: he provided the necessary vision to connect all the lines with his game intelligence.

However, one of the most notable aspects Xabi Alonso has managed to instill in his players is defensive work. Against Salzburg, we could see everyone fully focused and concentrated on defensive tasks, applying pressure when needed and dropping back when required. In fact, the footballers have so internalized this new style that, in the 75th minute, they left an unforgettable image.

Xabi Alonso imposes his law: an image is worth a thousand words

As we said, Real Madrid looks like a different team and it was proven in the 75th minute. Modric took a short corner to Vinícius Júnior, who lost the ball in a very dangerous position. However, instead of lamenting and complaining as in the past, Vini and the rest of his teammates made a defensive recovery that has stayed in the minds of many fans.

In the image, all the players can be seen running at full speed to get back and defend after Vinícius's loss. Xabi Alonso surely was delighted with the play, since pressure and commitment are two of his trademarks. In every press conference, he repeats how important it is for all the pieces of the team to work in the same direction, and it seems he's already achieving it.