Alonso credit new Madrid quartet after Osasuna victory
Xabi Alonso believes Actual Madrid’s 4 new gamers dealt with the stress of taking part in on the Santiago Bernabeu as they opened their LaLiga marketing campaign with a 1-0 win over Osasuna.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras all made their first league begins for Madrid on Tuesday, with the defensive trio hardly ever examined as Osasuna sat deep and defended for lengthy durations.
After a irritating first half, Kylian Mbappe gained and transformed a 51st-minute penalty to place Madrid forward, and Abel Bretones’ late crimson card ended Osasuna’s hopes of a comeback.
Alonso, who was taking cost of Madrid on the Bernabeu for the primary time after leaving Bayer Leverkusen, was additionally in a position to hand €45m winger Franco Mastantuono his debut as a 68th-minute substitute.
The previous River Plate prospect grew to become the third-youngest international debutant in LaLiga historical past, at 18 years and 5 days previous.
That’s 30 days youthful than Endrick was when making his competitors debut final yr, with Martin Odegaard (16 years, 157 days) and Samuel Eto’o (17 years, 270 days) the one non-Spanish gamers to function in LaLiga at a youthful age.
Mastantuono went near marking the event with a aim when he escaped into the realm within the second half, solely to be denied by a near-post save from Sergio Herrera.
4 – Prime 5 youngest international gamers to debut with Actual Madrid in LaLiga:
Martin Ødegaard in 2015 (16y, 157d)
Samuel Eto’o in 1998 (17y, 270d)
FRANCO MASTANTUONO in 2025 (18y, 5d)
Endrick in 2024 (18y, 35d)
Juan Esnáider in 1991 (18y, 67d)Diamond. pic.twitter.com/rsL0XIin1N
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 19, 2025
Chatting with Movistar after the sport, Alonso mentioned: “The 4 debutants weren’t weighed down by the Bernabeu.
“They’d strong performances, maybe not spectacular, however their nerves didn’t weigh them down.
“I might already see that Franco might contribute. He has ready effectively despite the fact that he has not been in a position to practice with us.
“We’ve to arrange for the subsequent one, however as a begin, I can take away a whole lot of constructive issues.”
Madrid go to newly promoted Actual Oviedo for his or her second sport of the marketing campaign on Sunday, having joined Barcelona in making a successful begin to 2025-26.
And Alonso feels they’ve a strong basis to construct on, including: “I’m left with issues that we had labored on that went effectively, and issues that we lack. It should give us stability to proceed our work.
“It wasn’t simple. Osasuna have been very deep and we maybe lacked some freshness. We’ll be taught as a result of we’re going to discover extra of those video games.
“This primary sport as Madrid coach at residence was particular, I can’t neglect it. It’s the first of many. How this new Bernabeu sounds… you anticipate what we might do right here and it’s thrilling.”
