Xabi Alonso isn’t letting Lamine Yamal’s remarks get to him. A day before El Clásico, the Real Madrid coach didn’t want to give any attention to Barcelona’s star player. “What matters is what happens on the pitch.”
Xabi Alonso is keeping Real Madrid’s build-up to El Clásico firmly on football rather than headlines.
In the final media session before the rivalry reignites at the Bernabéu, he brushed aside the noise around Lamine Yamal’s recent remarks, insisting the only thing that counts is what happens with the ball in play. His posture set the tone for a dressing room that has tried to turn focus inward, toward structure, discipline, and details that decide tight matches.
Yamal’s comments during a Kings League appearance briefly hijacked the narrative in the days leading up to the match, fueling debates online and tempting the press to chase a war of words. Alonso declined the invitation. He emphasized preparation over posturing, reiterating that Real Madrid will be judged by their concentration in both boxes, their control of transitions, and their ability to impose rhythm for long stretches rather than in bursts.
The football context matters. Real Madrid have spent the last few weeks tightening the gaps that cost them in the derby defeat to Atlético. Out of possession, the lines sit a touch closer. In possession, the early progression from the back into midfield has been cleaner, with fewer risky passes across the face of pressure. In training, the staff have stressed the value of the first five passes after regaining the ball, since those often shape whether Madrid can attack a retreating back line or are forced into a set defense against a settled block.
Barcelona arrive with their own motivations, looking to silence questions about consistency and to turn possession into incision more reliably. Their positional play remains their identity, but the difference at the Bernabéu will be how quickly they can move from sterile control to threat between the lines. The duel on the flanks could be decisive, especially if Real Madrid’s wingers can isolate full backs and generate cutbacks rather than hopeful high crosses.
Alonso was asked repeatedly about lingering narratives, from Yamal’s quips to the derby loss. He kept circling back to the same pillars. Focus. Structure. Execution. He made clear that the lineup is already in his head, which signals a desire to preserve recent continuity. It also hints at planned match phases. If Madrid find the opener, expect them to shift into a slightly lower block for periods, protecting the half spaces and inviting Barcelona onto the channels where Madrid’s wingers can break into open grass. If the game remains level deep into the second half, Madrid will likely lean on fresh legs in midfield to keep the press synchronized and the distances compact.
Only then, as context for supporters and viewers planning their Sunday, did the coach’s camp point to the logistical heart of the occasion. Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona is scheduled for Sunday, 26 October 2025, with kick-off at 16:15 at the Santiago Bernabéu. The time matters for tactical rhythm as well. Daytime Clásicos often play a touch faster on the dry autumn surface, with fewer moisture-driven skids and a premium on clean first touches when balls arrive at hip height near the box.
From a Madrid perspective, the key attacking questions are familiar. Can the left channel produce enough overloads to force Barcelona’s back line to tilt, opening the far-post crash from the weak side. Can the midfield create third man runs that break the initial press without surrendering shape behind the ball. Can the first shot on target arrive early enough to drop the collective tension a notch. These are not abstract notions. They are habits. The difference between a half chance and a clear chance is often as simple as a run timed two steps earlier or a body shape that invites the pass through the inside lane rather than out to the touchline.
Defensively, Madrid’s priority is to track runners through the inside channels. Barcelona will try to pin the last line and then sneak a late midfielder into the seam. If Madrid’s near side full back steps out too aggressively, the far center back must be ready to cover the cutback zone. Set pieces are another layer. In recent weeks Madrid have varied deliveries, alternating flat near-post flicks with deeper outswingers aimed at second phase shots from the D. Barcelona have struggled at times to win the first contact against aggressive blockers, and Madrid will want to exploit that without leaving a cheap transition the other way.
For Barcelona, the presence of Yamal changes the gravity on his flank. Even when he does not receive, his positioning can freeze a full back and open interior passing lanes. That places extra defensive responsibility on Madrid’s nearest midfielder to shade and on the winger to track back intelligently rather than purely chasing the ball. The best antidote is to force him backward by attacking that corridor with speed and combinations, making him defend longer sequences and limiting his starting positions for counters.
Alonso’s broader message to his players has been consistent. Stay calm in the middle third. Accelerate only when the advantage is clear. Manage the moments just before and after stopping play, such as throw-ins and restarts, where Clásicos so often swing on a single lapse. Above all, trust the structure. The team’s recent improvements have come from doing simple things with higher reliability, not from reinventing their game.
There is also an emotional intelligence component to El Clásico that Alonso understands as well as anyone. The first fifteen minutes can feel like a separate match inside the match. Survive the adrenaline without conceding control, and the contest settles into a rhythm where patterns matter. Panic, and the game can race away before halftime. That is why Madrid’s bench roles could be crucial. The second wave of midfield legs, a vertical runner to stretch the last line, or a fresh presser to disrupt Barcelona’s first pass after regains can tilt the balance in the final half hour.
Supporters will inevitably keep an eye on individual duels. Can Vinícius repeatedly receive on the half turn and force isolations. Can Bellingham arrive late into the box without leaving a hole behind him. Can Barcelona’s keeper handle the traffic on inswinging corners. These micro-battles, added together, tell the story that headlines never do.
In the end, Alonso’s refusal to feed the media cycle around Yamal is more than a media tactic. It is a statement of priorities. Talk fades. Footnotes fade. The table and the performance tape do not. El Clásico will again be decided by space, timing, and nerve under pressure. Madrid believe they are well placed physically and mentally. Barcelona believe their patterns will prevail. At 16:15 on Sunday, theory gives way to the ninety minutes that matter.
