Xabi Alonso warns there's 'still a long way to go' for Real Madrid but coach proud of 'solid foundation' for Champions League & La Liga challenges

Madrid extended their perfect start in La Liga with a convincing 4-1 win over Levante. Vinicius Jr opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a brilliant strike and set up Franco Mastantuono for his first goal in a Madrid shirt just before half-time. Levante pulled one back early in the second half through a deflected header by Etta Eyong, but Kylian Mbappe sealed it with a penalty and a goal later to make it six straight wins in the Spanish top-flight.

Alonso reflected on the team’s performance, saying: "The path is good. Because of the results and the way we’re doing things. We’ve been here for 51 days and there’s still a long way to go. We're building a solid foundation to be competitive in the Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey. Many feel connected and engaged, which is important, but there are still things to improve. There are things we can do better. The path is good in terms of results and the way we're doing things. This is just the beginning, and we want to continue competing well."

For the first time in 13 competitive matches under Alonso, Vinicius completed the full 90 minutes. This came amid reports of his frustration over limited starts, but he responded in style with a goal and an assist against Levante. Alonso also showered high praise on the winger after the game, saying he was "decisive and important". When asked whether the Brazilian will start in the derby, Alonso added: "We're thinking about today, and starting tomorrow, we'll think about the derby."

When asked about the constant lineup changes and how players are adapting to it, the former Bayern Leverkusen manager said the quality and versatility of his players make rotation much easier. 

“Having quality players makes things much easier, and players who understand the idea with little training," he added. "We have 'flexible' players who can play in different ways and in different positions. Today we thought it was appropriate because some had to rest, especially [Eder] Militao and [Dani] Carvajal, and that was good, and those who came on did very well. We shouldn't gloat too much; now we're thinking about the derby."

Real Madrid now turn their attention to key upcoming fixtures. Los Blancos will prepare for a showdown against Atletico Madrid on September 27. After that, they travel to Kazakhstan to face Kairat Almaty in the Champions League on September 30, before returning home to take on Villarreal at the Bernabeu on October 4.