Xabi Alonso appeared in the press room at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and analyzed the 2-1 victory over Marseille in the first round of the Champions League group stage.

The coach said: "A lot of things happened, it was a traditional match at home in the Champions League, where anything can happen. Despite conceding a goal, we kept playing strongly and equalized 1-1 in the first half."

He added: "In the second half, the pace of play was less tense, but we felt we were creating scoring chances. The red card came, and despite playing with ten men, the team continued its dominance and pressure, and we didn't suffer much. It's an important win to start this first phase of the Champions League well."

He emphasized: "The first half hour was great. I liked the pace of play and the pressure against a team that excels in excellent spontaneous movement. We lacked opportunities to capitalize on the good work. The goalkeepers shone, with Courtois and Rulli saving dangerous shots. It was an exciting match that the audience enjoyed with many events. We are happy with the three points."

He continued: "Camavinga and Bellingham are much better now, and they will be ready to play on Saturday. We will wait a bit regarding Arnold because the injury may not be severe. Asensio performed well, and we need to be creative to find solutions. We have options and flexible players capable of playing different roles in defense and midfield. This opens the door to a scenario we need to think about what is best."

Regarding Arda Güler and Mastan Tuno: "Arda started very well, then went through a phase where he made many passes.. He is going through a growth phase. I am also happy with Franco. It will be similar. He will continue to grow because the change is huge, and he needs to keep adapting. He is on the right track."

About Vinícius Júnior: "We are in a demanding phase of the match schedule, and we need everyone. There will be time for everyone, and the most important thing is that everyone feels ready and important, because they have been and will be throughout the season."

He noted: "This is not the time to talk about whether there are private conversations with players; no one should feel offended for not playing. We need everyone. The changes have a very positive impact this season, and it's not about who becomes the important players. Football does not go in that direction."

Regarding the reason for delaying Brahim Díaz's entry: "We had two substitutions left, and I didn't want to waste one of them because Vinícius was going to come in, but he needed more warm-up. I asked Brahim to wait a few more minutes."

On when fans can expect to see the Real Madrid they are waiting for: "It’s a continuous process. It’s very difficult to pinpoint a time, but we are growing and progressing. The players are starting to grasp the idea and realize their ability to compete. I really liked the first half hour, and we need to learn even from the negatives. We are struggling to maintain consistency. Today’s match was tough against a strong opponent. We are on the right track, and I’m sure what we will be in three or four months will be better."

About his demeanor on the bench: "I am active. I live the match. I like what I see, and I always try to help the players. I approach every match as if it were the last, and that’s my way. Today was not exceptional."

He concluded regarding the second penalty: "I didn’t see the incident well, but today things went in our favor."