Real Madrid kickstart their bid to reclaim the La Liga title from Barcelona with an home fixture against Osasuna at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday. The game will see Xabi Alonso take charge of the team in an official game for the first time since his arrival in the summer from Bayer Leverkusen. The former Spain international was at the helm when they heavily lost to PSG in the semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup, raising doubts over their preparation for the season ahead.
However, Los Blancos have since comfortably won their friendlies, putting four past Leganes in Spain and as many past WSG Tirol in Austria, respectively. For Alonso, the four summer arrivals — Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras and Franco Mastantuono — are all fit and available for their LaLiga opener.
