Unhappy Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso explains Vinicius Junior decision after Jude Bellingham rescues draw at Elche
Updated 23/11/2025 at 23:37 GMT
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Real Madrid moved onto three matches without a win in all competitions after their 2-2 draw at Elche on Sunday in La Liga. An 87th-minute equaliser from Jude Bellingham rescued a point for the Spanish giants, and they ended the weekend top of the table. Speaking after the draw, manager Xabi Alonso expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance and aimed for improvement.
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Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said his team "aren’t happy" after an underwhelming 2-2 draw at Elche on Sunday night.
The result means Real Madrid remain top of the La Liga table, but they are now just one point clear of current champions Barcelona, who are in second spot. Both teams have played 13 league matches each so far this season.
While Madrid still top the table, they have not won a game in their last three matches in all competitions. Their previous match was a 0-0 draw at Rayo Vallecano in the league, and before then they lost at Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League in early November.
Aleix Febas opened the scoring early in the second half for the home side, but defender Dean Huijsen levelled on 78 minutes, before Alvaro Rodriguez put Elche back ahead six minutes later. Madrid were able to claw a point from the match with a late Jude Bellingham strike, and Victor Chust saw red deep in injury time.
Vinicius Junior was on the bench again, having struggled for regular starts at times under Alonso, and at a press conference following the draw, the manager explained his decision.
"We spoke about it, [Vinicius] understands it, he knows the role and the impact he could have. We've done it other times, like against Getafe," Alonso said.
"We're not as happy as we could be, but we want to get back to good results and good form."
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While Alonso admitted his dissatisfaction with the recent run of indifferent form, he called upon the players to improve in the coming weeks as they face some important games ahead before the winter break.
"It's football. After a good run, now we've had some results that aren't what we want," Alonso continued. "We aren't happy, because we always want to win. But now we have a lot of games before the end of the year, and we have to think about the next one, analysing what happened today.
"The team is still competing. The context of each game is different. We can improve, we're self-critical, but the team spirit is still good. We have to respond to adversity. A result which isn't favourable leads to criticism, and we have to live with that, but we want to improve."
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Real Madrid will be favourites to win their next match. They travel to Greece for an away tie against Olympiacos in the Champions League.
The Piraeus-based side are currently 31st in the league phase, with two draws and two defeats from their opening four matches.
Madrid, meanwhile, are seventh, in the automatic qualification spots, with three wins and a single defeat.
Their next La Liga match is also on the road, at Girona on Sunday, November 30.
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