Alonso's Challenge to Real Madrid and Juventus' Tudors Spread Perfection in Europe

MADRID, MONDAY — Xabi Alonso and Igor Tudor are the only two new coaches remaining in the top five European leagues who have managed to lead their teams to perfect results in the opening week of the 2025-2026 season. Their skills will be put to the test in the first match of the UEFA Champions League, Wednesday (17/9/2025) at 02:00 WIB.

Alonso helped Real Madrid navigate the first four matches of La Liga without dropping a single point. The collection of 12 points has positioned "Los Blancos" as the sole leaders of La Liga in the fourth week. They are two points ahead of their eternal rivals, Barcelona, who sit in second place in the standings.

Meanwhile, in Italy, Tudor has presented nine points in the first three matches of the Italian League season for Juventus. "The Old Lady" has been waiting since the 2018-2019 season to achieve perfection in the first three weeks of the new season.

Both coaches in their forties will begin their journey in the Champions League by playing at home. Alonso will lead Real in hosting the French representative, Marseille, at the Bernabeu Stadium, while Tudor will guide Juve in facing the German envoy, Borussia Dortmund, at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy.

No matter how promising Alonso's start with Real is, the opening match of the Champions League will undoubtedly be the biggest focus for him. History shows that winning in Spain is important for Real, but being a European champion with the trophy known as "The Big Ears" holds far greater significance.

As a player, Alonso experienced that. The former Bayer Leverkusen coach felt a profound sense of accomplishment when he helped Real Madrid win la décima, their tenth Champions League title, in the 2013-2014 season.

"I have experienced five intense years while defending Real. Returning to a place that I have come to consider home, because I feel loved and comfortable, makes me at ease," said Alonso ahead of his debut match with Real in the Champions League to the UEFA website, Monday (15/9/2025).

Alonso expressed that he is striving to instill a winning mentality among the entire Real squad, especially among the young players. He is fortunate to still have two team leaders, such as Dani Carvajal and Federico Valverde, who serve as a bridge between him and the players to convey the urgency of victory with the Los Blancos jersey.

Regarding the match against Marseille in the Champions League, Alonso stated that the obligation of Real players is to continue the 100 percent performance they have displayed in the four La Liga matches. He reminded his players to be prepared to face various situations that could make the match challenging.

"We must play efficiently. The game of football today truly demands players to maintain focus. It is like a chess duel with many parts. The board is different and the context is not similar," said Alonso.

Kylian Mbappe, the striker for Real, is determined to contribute an impressive performance in the opening match in Europe this season. Mbappe has already scored four goals and provided one assist for his team. Unsurprisingly, the captain of the French national team leads the temporary goal-scoring list in La Liga.

"I always aim to give 100 percent in this jersey. For me, goals and assists both make me happy. We have to be prepared to suffer in every game to get the three points," Mbappe told Marca.

At Juventus, Tudor indeed coached the club in the latter half of last season. However, he only became the permanent coach of Juventus for the 2025-2026 season. Previously, he signed a contract as the interim coach of La Vecchia Signora.

Tudor repaid that trust by rekindling Juve's grinta, or fierce spirit, for victory. Juve demonstrated this when they won the first Italian derby of the season against Inter Milan on Saturday (September 13, 2025). After leading twice, then falling behind 2-3, Juve ultimately defeated Inter 4-3.

Ahead of Juve's first Champions League match, Tudor reminded his players to maintain the grit that has been growing since the start of the season. He also wants Juve to play with the same intensity from the first minute until the final whistle to secure a more comfortable victory.

"We won (against Inter), but our performance wasn't always what we wanted, especially in terms of pressing. However, we had a hunger that helped us maintain our current winning streak," Tudor said, as reported by Tuttosport.

Facing Dortmund is a rematch of the 1996-197 Champions League final. At that time, Juve, coached by Marcelo Lippi, fell 1-3, thus failing to defend the European title they had won the previous season.

On the other hand, Tudor is also overshadowed by the hope of maintaining Juve's unbeaten record in their first Champions League match at home. In the previous nine instances, La Vecchia Signora started the Champions League in Turin with six victories and three draws.

The hope for victory for Juve lies with the new striker, Jonathan David. David has scored seven goals in his last nine appearances in the Champions League. He also holds the record for the highest-scoring Canadian player in the world's elite club competition with a total of 10 goals.

Arrigo Sacchi, the former coach of the Italian national team, has endorsed Juventus to begin their journey in the Champions League with three points. The condition, according to Sacchi, is the flawless execution of Tudor's tactical plan by all players.

"Tudor wants a solid defense and a very vertical game. If the 'Black and Whites' are perfectly solid and vertical, they can overcome Dortmund and start the Champions League with a positive result," Sacchi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.