Alonso and Flick: Mirror Images in Their First 34 Matches
A statistical comparison between Xabi Alonso's start at Real Madrid and Hansi Flick's early Barcelona days reveals surprising similarities despite different trajectories.
Fancy this for a bit of statistical deja vu in Spanish football - the numbers don’t lie when comparing two managerial heavyweights.
Identical Records
Xabi Alonso’s departure from Real Madrid might raise a few eyebrows when looking purely at the numbers. The Basque tactician has recorded exactly the same record as Hansi Flick did at Barcelona at the same stage last season: 24 wins, 4 draws and 6 defeats from their first 34 matches in charge. Talk about carbon copies!
Madrid’s six defeats have come across all competitions:
- A 4-0 thumping by PSG in the Club World Cup
- Two La Liga losses (5-2 against Atlético and 0-2 versus Celta)
- Two Champions League defeats (1-0 to Liverpool and 1-2 against City)
- Yesterday’s Supercopa Clásico final loss to Barcelona
Different League Trajectories
Despite the identical overall records, there’s a crucial difference in how these results have been distributed. Barcelona under Flick had a much rockier start in La Liga, dropping 21 points in their first 19 matches with five defeats (all before January) and three draws.
In contrast, Alonso’s Madrid have been more consistent domestically, dropping just 12 points through two defeats and three draws, all coming in away fixtures. The Barça comparison includes an additional sixth defeat in their Champions League opener against Monaco (2-1).
The Barcelona Blueprint
If there’s a silver lining for Madrid, now under Arbeloa’s guidance, it’s that they can look to Barcelona’s example from last season. Flick’s men became champions thanks to a remarkable turnaround from January onwards.
After their shaky start, Barcelona lost just one more La Liga match all season - against Villarreal at home in the penultimate round (2-3) when they’d already secured the title. Add just one draw against Betis, and it was nothing but victories in the league after the turn of the year.
Madrid will be hoping they can follow a similar pattern of improvement, though they’re starting from a stronger position than Barça were at the same stage last campaign. The question is whether they can find that same level of consistency that turned Flick’s season around.