Xabi Alonso Hails Young Madrid Star: ‘He Reminds Me of Raul’

Goals from Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, and Gonzalo Garcia led the team to a convincing win, with Garcia receiving particular acclaim from manager Xabi Alonso post-match. Real Madrid secured their spot in the knockout rounds of the Club World Cup by defeating RB Salzburg 3-0 in Philadelphia, clinching the top position in Group H.

“I’m not just happy with his goal and assist,” Xabi Alonso stated. “But also with how he came back to help in defence and his effort in pressing. He had freedom in attack and worked well with Gonzalo. Many players left the pitch feeling good. I’m really happy for him and the whole team, but we know the journey is still long.”

Xabi Alonso added, “What he’s doing doesn’t surprise me at all. He’s shown it many times with Castilla. He’s a classic number nine who waits for the right moment and moves intelligently. He reminds me of Raul with his movements. I’m very happy for him. But there are no decisions yet about next season.”

21-year-old Garcia, formerly of Spain’s U19 squad, was the top scorer for Castilla last season with 25 goals and had already scored in the Club World Cup, finding the net in the 1-1 draw against Al-Hilal last week.

The manager also praised Vinicius Jr, who contributed an assist along with his goal, remarking: “He had freedom in attack and worked well with Gonzalo. Many players left the pitch feeling good. I’m really happy for him and the whole team, but we know the journey is still long.”

Kylian Mbappe is a potential inclusion for the round of 16 match against Juventus on Tuesday, with Alonso expressing cautious optimism about his chances to feature. He noted that Antonio Rudiger only experienced cramp after the match and that nothing more serious was at play.

Regarding his midfield options, Xabi Alonso has been impressed with both Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham, saying: “With Jude between the lines, we can create superiority. Arda plays deeper, controls well, and connects nicely with the defenders.”

However, Xabi Alonso remained tight-lipped on the return of Brazilian forward Endrick, who is sidelined from the Club World Cup due to a hamstring injury. The manager confirmed that Endrick will join the squad for training while they are in the United States.