Xabi Alonso defended his choice to keep Kylian Mbappé on the field for the entirety of Real Madrid’s tense 3-2 victory in the Copa del Rey match against Talavera on Wednesday, stating that the forward “was decisive with his goals.”
Mbappé notched two goals and assisted another as Madrid narrowly overcame the third-tier side, with goalkeeper Andriy Lunin making a brilliant late save to deny Talavera an equalizer and potential extra time.
The French superstar is in pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo‘s record of 59 goals in a calendar year—a milestone set by the Portugal legend in 2013. With his goals in the Copa del Rey, Mbappé has reached 58 ahead of Madrid’s next match against Sevilla on Saturday.
“[Mbappé] made a significant impact with his goals,” Alonso remarked during the post-match press conference. “Kylian has that natural ability to score. The third goal was crucial; it was important, which is why we kept him in the game.”
“Mission accomplished, and now we move on to the next challenge.”
Mbappé was among several key players from Madrid who taken part in the match, with Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Rodrygo coming on as substitutes in the latter stages of the match.
Real Madrid has successfully won two games this week, including a 2-1 victory over Alavés in LaLiga on Sunday, although their performances have been less than convincing.
“These sorts of things happen in cup matches,” Alonso acknowledged. “It has happened to us and I’ve seen it happen to other teams as well.”
“Even after going 3-1 up, we made a foul that led to their second goal from a free kick; they pressed us hard and got back into the game.”
According to ESPN, Madrid’s 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo on December 7 had prompted senior club officials to discuss Alonso’s future as the manager.
“The goal against Talavera was to progress, and we’ve achieved that; I’m satisfied and happy with that,” Alonso said on Wednesday. “What we need to improve is our consistency and to deliver solid performances throughout matches, learning to control and mature the game.”