Two Surprising Stats From Xabi Alonso’s Start As Real Madrid Coach

Xabi Alonso’s return to Real Madrid has started in high-stakes circumstances as the Spaniard took over as coach just in time for the club’s campaign at the FIFA Club World Cup, held in the United States this summer.

Los Blancos are on track to qualify for the knock-out stages after securing a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal and a 3-1 win over Mexican team Pachuca. It has been the first opportunity that Madridistas stateside and across the glob have had a chance to see what system, tactics and style Alonso has brought to the club since his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen.

Stats from Xabi Alonso’s start to life at Real Madrid

The numbers don’t lie, and while Xabi Alonso may only have had a handful of training sessions with his players, it’s been slow progress for the Basque coach as he implements his methodology. Speaking ahead of the game against Pachuca, Alonso reflected that, “sometimes wanting to do so much so quickly is counterproductive”, before insisting that “prioritizing is important”

The second-lowest number of shots in a new coach’s starts in the last 16 years

According to data from Opta, Real Madrid attempted a measly 27 shots in their two matches with Xabi Alonso, which is their second lowest number for the first two games of a new coach in the last 16 years, only beaten by Julen Lopetegui and his short-lived reign when he started with 24 shots in two games in 2018.

Leading the way with the most shots on six each are youngster Gonzalo García, a surprise inclusion in Alonso’s first line-up, and midfielder Fede Valverde, including a missed penalty in injury time against Al Hilal.

There is a reasonably logical explanation behind such a stat. Star striker Kylian Mbappé was struck down by illness with gastroenteritis before the first game of the competition, and is still sidelined and won’t be risked against RB Salzburg on Thursday night in Philadelphia. It must also be remembered that the circumstances of Alonso’s first two game spits him against some of the best teams from across the globe, as opposed to season-opening league fixtures against domestic rivals.

1.85 xG conceded per 90, a 59% increase

At the other end of the pitch, it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Alonso’s players either. Al Hilal and Pachuca have both threatened the Real Madrid goal, testing shotstopper Thibaut Courtois who recovered from an end-of-season injury in order to start against the Saudi team.

In 180 minutes, the team has conceded 3.7 xG (expected goals), working out at 1.85 xG per 90 minutes. That’s compared to an average of 1.16 xG per 90 in La Liga in 2024/25 under previous coach Carlo Ancelotti. In fact, Real Madrid had only conceded more than 1.85 xG four times in the previous 36 matches in the 2025 calendar year before Xabi Alonso’s arrival.

Again here, there are some mitigating circumstances. Alonso has given debuts to summer signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen, both joining from Premier League clubs in Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively. Real Madrid has also conceded a penalty, against Al Hilal, worth 0.75 xG, and been forced to play with only 10 men for 83 minutes against Pachuca, after two costly Raúl Asencio errors.