Xabi Alonso's last chance?! Why the Supercopa could be decisive for under-fire Real Madrid boss' future - explained

Xabi Alonso is already under immense pressure to turn Real Madrid's fortunes around following a rocky start to life at the Bernabeu helm. While Los Blancos eased to a 5-1 win over Real Betis in their first game of 2026, a dip in form combined with Barcelona's rampant run of form meant Real Madrid ended the year four points off their rivals.

And Real Madrid will face a much sterner test when they face their Madrid counterparts in Jeddah on Thursday evening for the second Supercopa semi-final clash. Los Colchoneros inflicted Real Madrid's first league defeat of the season when the pair clashed at the Wanda Metropolitano back in September.

Goals from Robin Le Normand, Alexander Sorloth, Julian Alvarez - twice - and Antoine Griezmann saw Atletico run out 5-2 victors over Alonso's men and the former Bayer Leverkusen boss will be wary about history repeating itself with the first piece of domestic silverware of the season up for grabs.

Since the Supercopa format change in 2020, the importance of the competition has increased significantly. Real Madrid were ahead of Barcelona in the table at the midway stage last season, but lost the 2025 Supercopa final 5-2 to the Blaugrana.

Barcelona ultimately pipped Real Madrid to the title, while they also claimed the Copa Del Rey to clinch a domestic treble in Hansi Flick's debut campaign at the Spotify Camp Nou helm. Carlo Ancelotti ultimately survived the Supercopa final mauling to see out the season in the capital, though the Italian did depart Los Blancos at the end of the season.

Alonso, though, won't have the same leeway as Ancelotti, with the Spaniard already facing sack calls despite only succeeding the former Bayern and AC Milan head coach over the summer.

And ahead of the semi-final meeting with Atletico, Alonso stated that his Real Madrid side needs to be "mentally prepared" as they gear up for Thursday's game.

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Speaking ahead of Thursday's game, Alonso said: "It's a semi-final and we have to be mentally prepared, compete and take care of the details.

"Atletico are always demanding opponents, but we have every reason to play this match with a lot of energy and desire. It's the first trophy of the season and that's why it's the most important one."

The 44-year-old went on to add: "We want to perform better than we did in the league game, but we can't forget the things we lacked that day and which are clear to us. We don't want to make the same mistakes and produce a better match than the one we played.

"I'm convinced that it will be something else, different, and that the team will show a different side, a different level, and it will be hard-fought. Positive lessons can be learned from all defeats and there are things we don't want to repeat from that game and we'll keep them to ourselves. We mustn't forget things that didn't work well."

Alonso has also confirmed that star striker Kylian Mbappe will miss Thursday's game against Atletico. The French forward sustained a knee injury recently, and while Los Blancos had hoped to have Mbappe fit for the Madrid derby, Alonso has confirmed that the 27-year-old has remained in Madrid to work on his fitness.

"Decisions are made and we hope to get him back as soon as possible. We have been rushing, but this game comes too soon. What's on our minds now is tomorrow's semi-final and to be able to win and play in the final on Sunday," Alonso said.

While Mbappe misses the game against Diego Simeone's side, Real Madrid's medical team are working tirelessly to aid the forward's rehabilitation. And if he is passed fit, then there is a chance Mbappe will return for Sunday's final against Barcelona provided Real Madrid beat Atletico this week.

Gonzalo Garcia, who scored a hat-trick against Real Betis at the weekend, is expected to lead the charge in Mbappe's absence.