Xabi Alonso Faces Pressure Ahead of Supercopa Semi-Final Against Atletico Madrid

Xabi Alonso is currently under considerable pressure to reverse Real Madrid’s fortunes following a challenging beginning to his tenure at the Bernabeu. While Los Blancos secured a commanding 5-1 victory over Real Betis in their first match of 2026, a subsequent decline in form, coupled with Barcelona’s impressive performance, left Real Madrid trailing by four points at the year’s end.

The upcoming match against Atletico Madrid in Jeddah on Thursday evening presents a significant challenge for Real Madrid. The two teams previously met at the Wanda Metropolitano in September, where Atletico handed Real Madrid their first league defeat of the season, winning 5-2, thanks to goals from Robin Le Normand, Alexander Sorloth, Julian Alvarez (twice), and Antoine Griezmann. Alonso will be keen to avoid a repeat of that outcome, especially with domestic silverware at stake.

Since the change in Supercopa format in 2020, the competition has gained substantial importance. Last season, Real Madrid was leading Barcelona at the midway point but ultimately lost the 2025 Supercopa final 5-2 to their rivals. Barcelona went on to claim the Copa Del Rey, achieving a domestic treble during Hansi Flick’s inaugural season at Spotify Camp Nou. Although Carlo Ancelotti survived the defeat in the Supercopa final, he departed from the club at the season’s conclusion.

Unlike Ancelotti, Alonso faces immediate scrutiny, with calls for his dismissal arising soon after he succeeded the former Bayern and AC Milan coach over the summer. Ahead of the semi-final clash with Atletico, Alonso stressed the importance of being “mentally prepared” for the upcoming match.

In his pre-match comments, Alonso stated: “It’s a semi-final and we have to be mentally ready, compete, and pay attention to the details. Atletico are always demanding opponents, but we have every reason to approach this match with energy and determination. This is the first trophy of the season, making it the most significant one.”

He continued, “We want to perform better than we did in the league match, and we are fully aware of the aspects we fell short on that day. We aim to avoid repeating those mistakes and deliver a superior performance. I am confident that we will present a different side, with a different level of intensity, in what will be a hard-fought contest. Valuable lessons can be learned from all defeats, and we will focus on what did not work in the previous match.”

Alonso also confirmed that star striker Kylian Mbappe will not participate in Thursday’s game due to a knee injury. Although there were hopes of having him fit for the Madrid derby, Alonso has confirmed that the 27-year-old is remaining in Madrid to focus on his rehabilitation.

“Decisions have been made, and we hope to have him back as soon as possible. We have been rushing his recovery, but this match comes too soon. Our focus now is on tomorrow’s semi-final and securing a victory to advance to the final on Sunday,” Alonso remarked.

In Mbappe’s absence, Gonzalo Garcia, who netted a hat-trick against Real Betis recently, is expected to lead the attack.