Real Madrid Played Well In Patches
Real Madrid returned to winning ways against Real Valladolid on Saturday evening but were still not as convincing as many critics expected and Xabi Alonso agreed that overall they need a lot more work.
The Spain midfielder believes that the international break contributed to Los Merengues' functional display in their 4-2 win in the Santiago Bernabeu.
Alonso was pleased with some signs if improvements, though, as Madrid put together some flowing football at the start of the encounter.
“There were patches of good football, especially in the first 25 minutes," he was quoted as saying by the club's official website.
"We had a little more difficulty after the first goal, but we managed to pull it out. We started off well, we maintained possession and we scored goals."
"You can tell when you have spent the whole week with a different group of team-mates."
After the game Alonso also paid tribute to Raul who scored twice in the clash to mark his record-breaking 711th appearance for the club.
“Raul’s instinct has never failed. He has scored many goals throughout his career and he will continue to do so," he added.