Real Madrid Will Determine the Fate of the Spanish League

For Barcelona, almost only Real Madrid is the sole contender in the pursuit of the La Liga title. Unlike Madrid's squad, which faces two obstacles simultaneously, Barcelona, the defending champion, is the first. The second and most crucial obstacle is themselves.

A big question mark looms over Madrid ahead of the upcoming 2025-2026 season, which will commence on Saturday (16/8/2025) WIB. Will the giant team from the Spanish capital be able to reclaim the championship throne that crossed into the embrace of their eternal rival last season?

The answer is simple, "El Real" must first be able to win against itself. This may seem clichéd, but it is indeed necessary. Last season, the Madrid squad performed far below expectations and failed to secure a major trophy. The previous coach, Carlo Ancelotti, left behind a complex problem.

Xabi Alonso, a protégé of Ancelotti, arrives as the new coach to restore the glory of Madrid. He returns to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with a successful story alongside the German team, Bayer Leverkusen. On paper, the task in Madrid should be easier due to the luxurious quality of the squad.

However, the reality on the ground is not as beautiful as the imagination. Alonso is a coach who places great emphasis on team collectivity to display high-intensity play. He demands that all players participate in both offensive and defensive situations. There are no "golden children."

Conversely, Ancelotti's recipe for success over the past decade in Madrid has been to grant freedom of expression to star players. For him, if the players can unleash their best individual potential, the team's performance will naturally improve.

Unfortunately, that recipe did not work last season with the arrival of superstar striker Kylian Mbappe. It turns out there is no solution to integrate Mbappe with winger Vinicius Junior. Besides operating in the same area, they also become a burden to the team when out of possession.

Layered challenges await Alonso. The former Madrid midfielder not only has to deliver achievements but also must facilitate Mbappe and Vinicius, the most valuable players in the team. In fact, the duo of megastars could disrupt his super-aggressive game scheme.

The complexity of the Madrid issue is somewhat reflected in the 2025 Club World Cup. Alonso's team appeared to be doing well almost throughout the tournament in the absence of Mbappe. The forward from the club's academy, Gonzalo Garcia, filled the void and led Madrid to the semifinals.

When Mbappe returned as a starter for the first time in the semifinals, Madrid was defeated by Paris Saint-Germain 0-4. PSG, the latest Champions League champion, is indeed in "form." However, Madrid's performance should not have been that poor. The intense collective system desired by Alonso was not evident.

Thibaut Courtois, the goalkeeper for Madrid, revealed after the match that they lost because they were unable to execute the coach's plan, especially when they did not have ball possession. "We could not press like they (PSG) did. We were always late and mispositioned," he stated.

Not without reason, Alonso warmly welcomed the emergence of Garcia, who has limited experience at the age of 21. In addition to the fact that the roles of Garcia and Vinicius do not conflict with each other, the pure "number 9" striker consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic by contributing to defensive efforts.

Alonso continues to seek ways to find the best formation. In the semifinals, he even played Vinicius, Mbappe, and Garcia together from the kickoff. That experiment ended in total failure. Meanwhile, the coach is also continuously changing the mentality of the players to be more disciplined in defense.

The 43-year-old coach realizes that he cannot use an "iron fist." He is now training renowned players with high egos, unlike in Leverkusen. Alonso is employing a more subtle approach. One of his strategies is to focus on praising the defensive contributions of the players in front of the media.

Alonso stated that it only takes time to change the team's appearance. "We have learned a lot and know what we need to improve. We want to build a playing system as one unit with all players involved. We will be different in the next season," he said after the Club World Cup.

It cannot be denied that the fate of the competition for the La Liga title in the upcoming season lies in the hands of Madrid. With the addition of defenders Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold, they are the only team capable of rivaling Barca in terms of squad quality. As is known, the rival team has also become stronger.

Barca has performed exceptionally well during the off-season. The goalkeeper position, which was a weakness last season, has been successfully addressed. They have brought in Espanyol goalkeeper, Joan Garcia, who is touted to become a key figure for the Spanish national team in the future.

Barca's star forward, Raphina, no longer needs to play on the left wing, which is not his original position. Although they failed to secure the Spanish national team's winger, Nico Williams, they successfully brought in the English national team star, Marcus Rashford, who is currently at his highest motivation.

The young star of Barca, Lamine Yamal, will also mature further in the new season. Imagine the immense attacking potential of Barca with all those combinations. The team coached by Hansi Flick has already managed to score 102 goals in the league in the previous season.

As a result, the biggest question mark will be in the Madrid camp. Before attempting to compete with Barca, Alonso's team must first ask themselves. Can they implement the coach's grand idea to fight as a single unit? If not, do not expect to reach Barca.

(AP/AFP)