Xabi Alonso explained his unusual lineup and tactics after Real Madrid were held 2–2 by Elche. With several defenders injured and many players returning from international duty, Alonso opened in a 3-4-1-2 and left Vinícius Júnior, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga on the bench.
Alonso shifted Álvaro Carreras inside to left-sided centre back to partner Dean Huijsen and Raúl Asencio. Fran García started as left wing-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold covered the right, and Dani Ceballos began in midfield while key defenders were unavailable.
Elche took the lead early in the second half through Aleix Febas. Alonso then made a triple change, sending on Vinícius, Valverde and Camavinga. Real Madrid responded late: Dean Huijsen scored to level the game, Elche went ahead again through Álvaro Rodríguez, and Jude Bellingham grabbed a stoppage time equaliser to secure a point.
Alonso defended his plan, saying: “It’s a familiar position for García,” and adding that the bench players were there to provide fresh legs. “He’s played there a lot. After the match, the players who stayed off international duty had more training time, and those on the bench were important to bring fresh legs in the second half. We wanted width on the wings. It was a shame we conceded early when we were looking to come back. We fought hard, and after the equalizer, I think we needed to push forward a bit more.” He also said there was “no problem” because García “knew the role” he was asked to play.
Alonso noted the recent results are not what the club wants but urged calm. “It’s soccer. After a good run, we’ve had results that aren’t what we wanted,” he said. He stressed: “The team hasn’t collapsed,” and added that the squad remains competitive and must keep working to improve. The draw leaves Real Madrid one point clear of Barcelona after 13 rounds.
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