Real Madrid’s Alonso names Kairat a direct well-organized team
Real Madrid held a press conference ahead of their Champions League match against Kairat in Almaty. One of the team’s captains, Federico Valverde, was the first to answer reporters’ questions, followed later by coach Xabi Alonso.
Valverde emphasized the importance of winning after the devastating 2–5 defeat to Atlético Madrid. The players understand that the upcoming clash with Kairat will be significant. He also noted that the team will try to change the momentum from the previous match from a footballing perspective.
«It’s been a tough couple of days. From a footballing perspective we’re frustrated with how the game went the other day. It was a really difficult defeat to take. We’ve spoken a lot, had several conversations. This hasn’t happened too often since I’ve been at Madrid: we got together to talk about it and try and turn the dynamic around as a group. We’ve spoken a lot with the coaching staff and tomorrow we’ve got the first match to turn things around,» he said.
Alonso, in turn, stressed that Real Madrid must win regardless of the opponent.
«It’s a Champions League game. The opposition or where we’re coming into it from doesn’t matter. We want to win, and starting well is important. We did that in our home game with a good win and now we want to do the same on the road so we can keep picking up points,» the Spanish professional stated.
According to Alonso, Kairat is a «direct outfit» with a clear style of play.
«We’ve watched their games against Celtic and the one the other day against Sporting de Portugal. They have a strong core and some different options in attack. They’re a direct outfit, they play some slick stuff and are clear in what they want to do. We’ll have to compete well. We’ve analyzed the opposition both collectively and individually. I didn’t know much about them before, but I am familiar with them now. They are in the Champions League and they deserve to be there. The result the other day was a bit unusual and tomorrow they’re playing at home, with all the emotion that brings, so we have to be prepared,» he said.
The Real Madrid coach also commented on the long trip to Almaty, underlining that it cannot serve as an excuse.
«You have to adapt and whether or not the trip is annoying isn’t something to consider. We’ve changed our usual roadmap, but in football, the smartest ones are those who adapt best. It’s a game like any other and the journey is not an impediment or an excuse,» he stated.
Earlier on Sept. 29, Kairat head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin and defender Egor Sorokin spoke at their own press conference ahead of the same game. Urazbakhtin said his team would try to impose their playing style on Real Madrid.
The historic match for Kazakhstan between Real Madrid and Kairat will take place on Sept. 30 at 9:45 p.m. local time at Central Stadium in Almaty.
