The win ended a run of three games without a win and gave the Whites their first ever victory in Greece, relieving the growing pressure on Xabi Alonso.
In recent weeks, discussions in the Spanish capital have mainly focused on the relationship, or rather lack of relationship, between Alonso and the Real Madrid stars. The comments of Vinicius Junior particularly caused a lot of ink to flow. The Brazilian’s Clasico bloodshed was seen as a sign of deeper tensions between the two men, with Vinicius reportedly telling Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez that he had no intention of extending his contract as long as Alonso was in charge of the team.
Has the relationship between Vinicius and Xabi Alonso evolved?
In Piraeus, Vinicius returned to his best level in a resounding manner, only having a goal narrowly denied for offside. He still delivered two assists to Kylian Mbappé and was unplayable for a large part of the match. But perhaps the most encouraging sign for Madrid fans came after the final whistle: Alonso and Vinicius embraced during the post-match celebrations.
Aside from the performance on the pitch, Alonso was keen to highlight the progress made in the hours leading up to the match against Olympiakos during his post-match press conference.
“The previous hours have been very positive and productive; they allowed us to continue to progress, to overcome difficult moments, and I found the unity of the players very positive. »
Vinicius and Mbappé outclassed Olympiakos.
Alonso then praised Vinicius’ performance, giving him many complimentary words.
“It’s a real shame about the disallowed goal, because it’s an action we talked about yesterday, and… and… it would have made him happy, because it’s a typical goal of him. A cross shot from the outside, into the opposite net. It’s a shame it was turned down. »
“We managed to get through it, and with positive points: Kylian’s goals, Vini’s performance, and the other players who also played well. »
