How Xabi Alonso is transforming Kylian Mbappé's game at Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappé stood disconnected to 1 side, smiling and waiting his turn, arsenic Xabi Alonso sang his praises.

Mbappé had scored doubly -- and been named subordinate of the lucifer -- arsenic Real Madrid bushed Marseille 2-1 successful the Champions League. In the flash interrogation portion astatine the Santiago Bernabéu, the manager had a somewhat awkward task: publically assessing his prima forward's contribution, wrong earshot of the antheral himself.

"He wasn't bad," Alonso told Movistar newsman Ricardo Sierra, laughing and glancing off-screen towards Mbappé. "As usual. Two goals. He has an unthinkable impact. We're blessed to person him, but there's a agelong mode to go, and we're conscionable getting started ... and with him here, a metre away, I'm not going to accidental thing else, americium I!"

😂 "Su partido nary ha estado mal"@XabiAlonso y @KMbappe con @Rsierraplus. #LaCasaDelFútbol #UCL pic.twitter.com/XhPuMnShw4

Real Madrid's prospects of occurrence this season, starting with winning Saturday's derby astatine Atlético Madrid (stream unrecorded connected ESPN+, US only, 10.15 a.m. ET), and ending by lifting large trophies successful May, rest, supra all, connected the shoulders of these 2 men, Mbappé and Alonso. And it was occurrence that eluded them successful 2024-25.

Imagine this: a French forward, inspired by a charismatic coach, takes his crippled to different level to triumph a long-awaited Champions League, and is rewarded with the Ballon d'Or. Sound familiar? It worked for Ousmane Dembélé, crowned 2025's champion antheral player connected Monday, aft starring for Luis Enrique's Paris Saint-Germain. Why shouldn't Mbappé repetition the look successful 2026 with Alonso's Madrid?

Mbappé's show against Marseille drew nonstop comparisons with Dembélé. The guardant led Madrid's press, disrupting the visitors' buildup play arsenic Alonso's squad repeatedly won possession successful unsafe positions, precocious up the pitch. Pundits connected Spanish TV excitedly compared Mbappé's show with the now-iconic representation of Dembélé waiting hungrily -- similar a sprinter connected his blocks -- to property Internazionale's backline during past season's Champions League final.

Luis Enrique moulded the talented Dembélé into an all-round, relentless forward, a selfless prima erstwhile retired of possession. It was a process helium was ne'er capable to implicit with Mbappé, who near Paris for Madrid successful 2024.

"Attacking, you're a god. There's cipher other similar you," Luis Enrique famously told Mbappé, successful a conversation recorded for the documentary called "You person nary f---ing idea."

"But the time you don't attack, you person to beryllium the champion subordinate successful past astatine defending," helium continued. "That's ...