Powered byđ„Xabi Alonso and his plan for MbappĂ© ahead of the finalOneFootballMon, January 12, 2026 at 8:57 AM UTC·1 min readThe Real Madrid coach explained the reason why he wanted MbappĂ© on the field, although things didnât go as he expected. As he was just approaching the sideline to come onto the field, the stadium lit up at the sight of MbappĂ©, but at that very moment Raphinha scored Barçaâs third goal. The Kylian effect faded, and Xabiâs plan took a turn. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Madrid coach later assured that his intention with the Frenchmanâs entry was to create imbalance and threat, something that, with the score against them, he couldnât see reflected.đž Yasser Bakhsh - 2026 Getty ImagesMbappĂ© was barely involved in the game with Real Madrid, but even so, he managed to provoke Frenkie De Jongâs sending off and assisted Asencio in the last play of the match with a header that could have been the equalizer. Obviously, he wasnât ready to play much more, but his mere presence already sent a warning message to the opponent. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in đȘđž here.đž Yasser Bakhsh - 2026.