Xabi Alonso’s position appears secure for now after Real Madrid ground out a hard-fought 2–1 away victory over Deportivo Alavés. The win was only Los Blancos’ third in nine competitive matches, easing some of the pressure on the manager, while Alavés slipped to a fourth defeat in their last five LaLiga outings.

With only two teams having won at Estadio Mendizorrotza this season, Real Madrid would have welcomed an early breakthrough, but Kylian Mbappé was unable to find the target with two early chances inside the opening eight minutes.

The French forward made amends midway through the first half, however. Released down the left by a perfectly weighted Jude Bellingham through ball, Mbappé cut inside and curled a superb, unstoppable effort beyond Antonio Sivera to open the scoring.

Real thought they had doubled their advantage moments later when Bellingham fired home from a corner, but the goal was correctly disallowed after the midfielder was adjudged to have controlled the ball with his hand.

That reprieve sparked Alavés into life, and the hosts enjoyed more possession and territory late in the half. Despite that, they failed to truly test the visitors’ defence until stoppage time, when a poorly cleared free-kick dropped to Pablo Ibáñez six yards out. His close-range effort was somehow kept out by the face of Thibaut Courtois, preserving Madrid’s lead at the break — the first time Alavés had trailed at half-time at home this season.

Real Madrid began the second half with confidence, having won each of their previous 10 league matches when scoring first. Federico Valverde went close with a powerful long-range effort, before Sivera produced an outstanding double save to deny Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior as the visitors pushed for a decisive second goal.

Their failure to capitalise proved costly midway through the half when Alavés equalised against the run of play. A long ball over the top released Carlos Vicente, who calmly lifted his finish beyond Courtois. Although initially flagged offside, VAR confirmed the forward had timed his run perfectly.

As Rodrygo sent a free-kick over the bar, it briefly seemed that momentum had swung away from the visitors. But the Brazilian forward delivered when it mattered most. Vinícius Jr used his pace to beat his marker on the left before firing a low cross into the box, where Rodrygo arrived to tap home and restore Real Madrid’s lead.

Vinícius later saw a penalty appeal waved away, while Bellingham and Brahim Díaz both went close to sealing the win. Alavés, though, failed to create any late chances, allowing Real Madrid to hold on for a crucial victory.

The result extended Los Blancos’ unbeaten run in away matches to six, while Alavés suffered an eighth consecutive defeat against Real Madrid, underlining their continued struggles in this fixture.