Real Madrid News
Alaves coach hails Real Madrid as a top team ahead of La Liga clash – “Pushes you to the limit”
Real Madrid are set to take on Deportivo Alaves on Tuesday, hoping to put early pressure on league leaders Barcelona.
Following their midweek defeat to Bayern Munich, Real Madrid can only compete in La Liga now, at least on paper. But they are trailing Barcelona by nine points and would need a miracle to turn things around from this point onwards.
Their opponent, Alaves, though, will be a tough nut to crack. Although 17th on the league table and battling relegation, they have not lost a single game in their last four matches.
Speaking ahead of this contest, Deportivo coach Quique Sanchez Flores talked about Real Madrid and how the game may unfold this Tuesday.
What the Alaves coach said ahead of the Real Madrid clash
On the approach to facing Madrid, Flores was pragmatic, acknowledging that keeping a clean sheet would be central to any positive result.
“Against an opponent of that stature, they will always commit you much more at the Bernabeu. We have to do things very well and have a pinch of luck, because it is a team that at times pushes you to the limit,” he said (h/t Diario AS).
When asked about his tactical plan, the Alaves coach was equally measured. “We must carry out our plan so that the game lasts as long as possible and we can get to the last 15 or 20 minutes well.”
Flores also pushed back against the idea that Real Madrid’s difficult season makes them any less dangerous.
“They have very good players, some close to being Golden Boot and others who were close to winning the Ballon d’Or. They try hard and try to do their best, but the seasons then unfold in many ways. That should not be forgotten,” he said.
Finally, the coach talked about his own side’s defensive record, acknowledging room for improvement.
“The goals conceded do not reflect the chances we receive or the interventions of our goalkeeper.
“It’s a shame, but it’s true that we have more goals conceded than the percentage of situations we concede. It’s something we know we can improve and work on,” he concluded.
With the football awards season almost upon us, Tuttosport has released the list of the Top 25 finalists for the 2026 Golden Boy Award.
The prize recognises the best Under-21 player at a European club, and two Real Madrid stars have made the cut for the final 25 candidates for this year.
Indeed, summer signing Yan Diomande, who joined the club from RB Leipzig in a mammoth €140 million deal, features on the list, currently occupying the fourth place in the rankings.
The 19-year-old Ivorian winger had an impressive breakthrough season at Leipzig in 2025/26 and is growing in stature at Real Madrid in recent weeks, earning him a nomination for the prize.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝟐𝟓 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄! We present the 𝟐𝟓 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐲, the award celebrating the best U21 players competing in European football leagues https://t.co/9wpeiW48RV
— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyAwards) October 5, 2026
The second Real Madrid player on the list happens to be Endrick, who excelled during his loan spell at Olympique Lyon during the second half of the 2025/26 campaign.
As things stand, however, FC Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi is the frontrunner for the Golden Boy Award, followed by Ayyoub Bouaddi of Manchester City and Warren Zaire-Emery of Paris Saint-Germain.
The final list also includes Victor Froholdt (Porto), Rayan (Bournemouth), Jorrel Hato (Chelsea), Estevao (Chelsea), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Luka Vuskovic (Brighton), Jon Martin (Real Sociedad), and Eli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth), among others.
Also featuring is Real Madrid’s defensive target for the summer Finn Jeltsch of VfB Stuttgart, while Barcelona duo Xavi Espart and Marc Bernal also make the cut.
