Xabi Alonso begins his new mission as manager of Real Madrid with a significant challenge: how to reduce the excessive reliance on French star Kylian Mbappe, who has become a key figure in the attack during the past season.

Despite the team's failure to win any major titles, Mbappe shone brightly, scoring 43 goals in 56 matches, earning him the European Golden Shoe and the title of top scorer in La Liga.

Spanish newspaper 'Marca' revealed that Mbappe scored more than 31% of the team's goals in all competitions, while the percentage rose to 40% in the league alone, being the opening goal scorer in 15 La Liga matches, reflecting the team's offensive dependence on him.

In his absence for four matches, the team's scoring rate dropped from 2.1 to 1.5 goals per match; despite attempts from Vinicius and Rodrygo, Valverde was the most effective, highlighting the fragility of the collective system without the French striker.

Alonso, who successfully led Bayer Leverkusen relying on organized passing, high pressing, and multiple attacking solutions, now faces a different challenge in managing a team that includes a star of Mbappe's caliber, which poses a psychological and tactical test in his first season with the royal club.

The main challenge lies in building a collective attacking system that reduces reliance on Mbappe without affecting his stardom and crucial role, while distributing responsibilities among outstanding players like Vinicius, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Endrick, and new arrival Franco Mastantuono.

Alonso will face his first official test when he leads Real Madrid in the Club World Cup, where it will quickly become clear how capable he is of creating a new offensive balance within the team, and whether he can alleviate the reliance on Mbappe or if the royal club will continue on the same previous path.