Alonso warns against overconfidence before Madrid derby

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso warned his side against overconfidence ahead of Saturday’s visit to face city rivals Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

Los Blancos have won every match they have played this season, leading the top flight by two points ahead of champions Barcelona and nine from Atletico, who are languishing in ninth.

However the Spaniard, coaching the team for the first time in a derby clash against Atletico, said his players must keep their feet on the ground.

“Every game is very difficult to win… we cannot be overconfident,” Alonso told a news conference Friday.

“Just by going out on to the pitch it doesn’t mean we are going to win, we have to be consistent in our performance.

“The more we teach ourselves to be active, the more games we will win. If we have that natural activation, we will be able to claim many points.”

Despite rising criticism of coach Diego Simeone for Atletico’s struggles in recent months, after they finished last season trophyless, Alonso hailed the long-serving Argentinian and admitted he could not imagine such longevity for himself at Real Madrid at the moment.

Simeone has led Atletico since December 2011 and has the longest reign of any coach at a Spanish top-flight club.

“What he has done is so big — I’m just starting, I have to go slowly,” said Alonso.

“I’m not setting such a long-term goal for myself.”

The former Real Madrid midfielder refused to give any clues away over his starting line-up, but said Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga were fit enough to start after recently returning from injury and playing as substitutes.

‘First time for everything’

Alonso said there would be a “potent” atmosphere at Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium, but it would not rule him out of starting any recent arrivals who have not played before in a Madrid derby.

“I’d be losing a lot of ‘bullets’ if I did that, a lot of key elements,” said Alonso.

“There’s always a first time for everything and we need everyone tomorrow, so they feel the great atmosphere.

“It’s nice to feel it before, during, after… one (team) will celebrate more, one will have a couple of tough days, but that’s how derbies go, here in Madrid and almost everywhere.”

Atletico coach Diego Simeone’s side were eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League last 16 when the teams last met in March, with Julian Alvarez’s spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out controversially disallowed for a double touch.

“I live in the present,” said Atletico coach Simeone when asked about previous meetings between the sides.

“Madrid have grown in their collective play. The coach is working hard to press higher up the pitch, and that’s why they’ve won every game.”

The coach noted his team had one fewer day’s rest than Los Blancos.

“We’ll have to make a huge effort, with only three days of rest, and it all depends on our mentality,” continued Simeone.

“It will be a hard-fought game in midfield, with the transitions key. That’s the kind of game I imagine.