Real Madrid is experiencing a soccer transformation that has surprised both insiders and outsiders. The days when counterattacking was its trademark under Carlo Ancelotti's leadership are gone. With Xabi Alonso's arrival on the white bench, the team has started a tactical revolution that inevitably recalls the best Barça under Pep Guardiola.
The change is no coincidence. The coach from Donostia has already acknowledged on more than one occasion that his time at Bayern Munich was key to understanding another way to dominate matches.
Guardiola showed him the importance of controlling the ball, of playing one-touch soccer... and of turning possession into a team's deadliest weapon.
Goodbye to the counterattack
During Ancelotti's era, Real Madrid was known for its speed when punishing opponents. Stealing the ball and sprinting forward was the most repeated strategy, with Vinícius and Rodrygo as sharp spears. That playbook was effective and brought titles, but Alonso has other plans.
In the first matches of the season, it's already clear how the team tries to circulate the ball calmly. They string together passes until they find space. The goal isn't to run faster than the opponent, but to make the opponent run after the ball until they're exhausted.
Guardiola's legacy
Xabi Alonso was Guardiola's student at Bayern. There, he understood that possession isn't just aesthetic, but a way to defend and attack at the same time. The ball becomes both a shield and a knife.
Now he's trying to bring that philosophy to Real Madrid, a club historically more linked to physical power and offensive vertigo. The bet is risky, because it involves a deep cultural change, but in Valdebebas, they work every day to perfect it.
Madrid's one-touch soccer
Alonso's training sessions are marked by quick circulation drills, reduced spaces, and immediate pressure after losing the ball. Everything is focused on keeping the ball moving at all times.
The players have had to adapt to a different pace. Camavinga and Tchouaméni, who stood out for their ability to win the ball, are now essential for keeping the play going. In attack, Bellingham, Mbappé, and Vinícius take part in quick combinations that aim to create numerical superiority.
A challenge for the white fans
Madridists are getting used to a style they recently associated with their eternal rival. The famous "tiki-taka" that Guardiola implemented at Barça now has its white version, with Alonso as the architect.
The challenge is to make sure that plan doesn't become an end in itself, but actually delivers results. In Chamartín, only winning is valued, and the new style will be judged by the titles that arrive at the end of the season.