It is no secret Real Madrid rely heavily on Kylian Mbappé’s production up top, but Xabi Alonso refused to give all the credit to his superstar forward for his team’s recent success.
Mbappé played hero for Real Madrid once again at the weekend, scoring Los Blancos’ lone goal against Getafe to put his side top of the La Liga standings ahead of El Clásico. The Frenchman has now scored in 11 consecutive matches for club and country, bagging 18 goals in 14 appearances.
Alonso was asked in his postgame press conference if his team is developing a dependence on Mbappé, but the Spanish boss brushed off the notion.
“I wouldn’t say so,” Alonso said. “I’d say we’re very happy with him. He’s been decisive with his goals and his involvement. But there are many other things behind his goals. They’re all important.”
Mbappé might lead Real Madrid and La Liga in scoring in 2025–26, but much of his dominance in the final third comes from great link-up play with Arda Güler. Of the forward’s 10 goals from open play, five have been created by his Turkish teammate.
In fact, Güler has created 23 chances so far this season, the third-most across Europe’s top five leagues. Only former Real Madrid man Nico Paz, who now plays for Serie A side Como, and Mbappé have more.
Alonso Divvies Out Praise to Vinícius Júnior, Güler for Getafe Victory
Mbappé might have scored the winner in Real Madrid’s 1–0 win at the Coliseum on Sunday evening, but the additions of Vinícius Júnior and Güler off the bench were the turning points of the match.
“Well, yes, [Vinícius Júnior] had a good impact on the match,” Alonso said. “The cards he drew, the substitutions... All of that gave us an advantage that we took advantage of. It’s a good example that everyone is important.”
Blistering runs down the left flank from the Brazil international led to frustrated fouls from both Allan Nyom and Álex Sancris, each of which resulted in sending offs. Once Getafe went down a man, Los Blancos finally found their 80th-minute breakthrough.
“Arda also had a good impact on the match. He found Mbappé well and it’s worth it for a match in which we were struggling to get into rhythm,” Alonso added.
The new boss will hope his three standout players deliver more game-changing performances when Real Madrid take on Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday and then Barcelona on Sunday, Oct. 26.
READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Xabi Alonso Downplays Kylian Mbappe’s Superstar Production for Real Madrid.