A hard-fought but deserved win against Osasuna tonight. Real Madrid looked completely different from last season, and full credit for this goes to Xabi Alonso.
Second to Alonso, the credit goes to his new signings. That group of four players were excellent today, heavily involved, almost anchoring the Xabi Alonso method on the field.
Who stood out for me was, of course, Dean Huijsen. He was simply perfect and flawless. More on him later in other articles. For now, I want to talk about Alvaro Carreras.
What a game the Spaniard had. I have dreamt of a decent attacking-oriented left-back for years, and I think my wish was finally answered tonight. Every Real Madrid fan shares this sentiment.
Real Madrid may have quietly solved their biggest defensive issue
Look, I do not mean to say that Ferland Mendy was absolutely awful. He had his strong points, but those were easily overshadowed by his shortcomings, mainly his lack of attacking contribution.
It may have worked under Carlo Ancelotti, for whom the Frenchman was nearly irreplaceable, but he is nowhere near that privilege under Xabi Alonso.
Alvaro Carreras has clearly given all the reasons to be the first-choice left-back. He was rock solid in defense, almost impermeable, and contributed so much on the wing as well. That was refreshing to see.
With an 89% passing accuracy and 2 key passes, I would say this debut was more than decent and far better than what Ferland Mendy could offer in this setup.
Fran Garcia can be a decent competitor for the position, but I think Carreras is going to be the name for every big occasion. This game was a testimony to that.
Carreras gave Vinicius freedom, removing the need for him to constantly look back at the defensive side of his role. The Brazilian looked stronger than ever as a result.
The benefits of this are going to be immense in the weeks to come. Carreras, in my opinion, has solved a years-old problem Real Madrid were far too ignorant to notice.