"The four in the midfield played a very good match. Eduardo played a great match," praised Xabi Alonso. This tactical decision sidelines Mastantuono, who has been losing ground at the club since the 5-2 defeat: he was taken off against Keirat Almaty and Villarreal, came on late against Juventus, and was not considered against Barcelona.

Liverpool have been warned that Florian Wirtz could leave in January, as Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is keeping tabs on his former Bayer Leverkusen apprentice. The German arrived at Anfield amid huge fanfare this summer for a staggering £116 million ($153m).

A Clásico is special, and it has been for many years. It's the first of the season and of this new project. We need and want the stadium to have that

Xabi Alonso wasted no time making his mark on Spain's biggest football showdown. In his very first Clásico as Real Madrid manager, the Spaniard guided his team to a crucial victory over FC Barcelona (2-1).