Real Madrid registered their first win in five games last night against Deportivo Alaves, but even that turned out tighter than expected.
Having taken a 2-0 lead with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr.’s goals, the Merengues conceded late in the game to again send it down to the wire.
The final phase of the game saw the visitors put in a tremendous shift, one that even made a comeback look very possible. Eventually, however, Real Madrid held on.
Speaking to the media after the game, Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa spoke out on the team’s win, performance and the reaction of the crowd to specific players.
He began by explaining the flow of the game and how his side should have closed the result far earlier on the night.
“It was a shame not to have been able to close out the match earlier. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy after the disappointment we were coming from and against a very needy Alavés.”
“Now we have to recover well because 3 very important away games await us,” he added.
He was also asked to give his reaction to the Juvenil A side winning the UEFA Youth League, to which he proudly said,
“Honestly, I’m extremely happy, because this is something the club has been striving to achieve for a very long time.”
“These boys have been trying for a long time, so I’m happy for them and happy for the coaching staff.
“As well as for the academy management and all the work the club does with the young players,” he added.
Cavajal was once again a substitute. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Arbeloa was then quizzed on why he decided to take off Jude Bellingham before the hour mark, and he explained that it had to do with his recent injury and the heavy shift he put in last week.
“Bellingham’s substitution was because he played 90 minutes in Munich. After what happened with Militão, I didn’t want to take risks with him. He’ll be back to play on Friday against Betis.”
He was then asked if he had it on his mind to hand Dani Carvajal more minutes so as to ensure his spot in the Spanish NT for the FIFA World Cup.
“Well, I have 20 or 23 players, and I think any player at Real Madrid has options to go to the World Cup. If you’ll allow me, I’ll think about what’s best for the team.”
Vinicius Jr. was one of the Real Madrid players heavily booed last night at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Arbeloa attempted to mediate and diffuse the tension.
“The fans whistling at Vinicius Junior? Well, this isn’t the first time this has happened. I think he’s proven that over many years. But, as I always say in recent months, we’ve seen how he’s always been able to bounce back.”
“Vinícius always puts in a tremendous effort, and in the tough moments we’ve gone through, he’s been able to carry the team on his shoulders,” he added in support of the Brazilian.
Vinicius was on the scoresheet. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)