Xabi Alonso reflects on GREAT MEMORIES of Istanbul | Liverpool v Real Madrid

Football

Year2025

Duration13m

Watch Now

7.2

Xabi Alonso previews Real Madrid's clash with Liverpool in the Champions League. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 INTRO 00:37 Alonso: It's a classico of European football, Liverpool because of their history in the Champions League. It's a game fans look forward to seeing. Trent and myself have history here and it's always great to come here where they loved you so much. We're coming here to do our job 00:45 Xabi Alonso on TAA: “He is good. He didn’t play because of the context of the game but he is available. We need his qualities, he is in a new stage both sporting, physically and mentally. He is an exceptional player.” 1:54 Alonso on Liverpool influence as manager: A lot because it wasn't just a simple step. I had a long period here as a player, learnt a lot from Rafa about elite football, analysing games and details. If you like football, you want to be at one of Europe's big teams like Liverpool 3:01 Alonso told Real have only scored one goal from set-pieces this season: “We are working on this!” 4:01 Alonso on Anfield crowd: “Many of them have already experienced it, recently in a negative but maybe not in past. There are moments where it's almost like there is a force where stadium is vibrating and can help the home team every much. These are players who know how to respond” 6:10 Alonso on CL final pen: We had already got to final and one of last games of league we played Tottenham and Gerrard missed pen. And Rafa assigned me or Harry Kewell to take, and Harry was not on the pitch. Was my first professional pen, and it changed my history as a player 8:11 Alonso high praise for Florian Wirtz: “For sure. I have no doubt. It could be just a matter of time. It's a big change for him to come to Liverpool after so many years in Germany his whole life. He's a really special player, he has the quality and personality and is competitive” 9:08 Xabi Alonso on TAA: “He has to have his own feelings, enjoy it as well. I will not tell him how to feel. Born and bred in Liverpool, I remember him in the academy