Bellingham’s Best Position, Raphinha Back With A Bang & Griezmann’s Brilliant Winner

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1:28Alan Shearer:Coming up on today's show, Real Madrid get a much-needed win at Alaves, but a disappointing performance means the pressure is still on Xavi Alonso. A Rafinha double was enough for Barcelona to overcome a stubborn Osasuna at Camp Nou. 34-year-old Antoine Griezmann came off the bench to score a crucial winner for Atletico Madrid against Valencia. And Sevilla hit four past Loli Oviedo as they get themselves back on track. Stay tuned for all the action.

2:15Alan Shearer:Hello and welcome to the Rest is Football La Liga with Alex Aljo and me, Gary Lineker. We're approaching the winter break. Yes, they have a winter break in Spain where they don't need it as much as we do because it's a lot nicer there in terms of the weather and conditions. but I think all the teams will be hoping to go into that winter break with a bit of success. How are you doing, Alex? What were you Champions League in last week? Yep, I was in Milan for the Liverpool game, so that was good. And then the Arsenal game here at the weekend and had a day off yesterday, which was great. The highlight of my weekend is I went to a charity carol night and there was a raffle and I never won the raffle and I won it twice.

2:58Alan Shearer:Twice. Twice. One bottle of Sancerre. Oh, very nice. Started with that and then lunch for four at a very nice Italian in Chelsea. I never win raffles. I feel like no one ever wins raffles. Well done. I look forward to my invitation to the Italian restaurant in Chelsea. We can all go. We can all go. Harry can come. On to the football. It was a big weekend for Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid. They had to travel to Alaves. And let's say he needed a result. And he got one. Let's have a look at the highlights. Back-to-back home defeats. There is no denying the pressure is firmly on Xabi Alonso as Real Madrid arrive at Alaves.

3:42It's Kylian Mbappe. He's got Vinicius Junior with him. It's Kylian Mbappe. Goes alone and fires Real Madrid in front. a solo mission that ends in success for Kylian Mbappe. Here comes the corner. Rudiger was there. It's Bellingham who bangs it in. Is it going to count, though? They're going to have a look. Jude Bellingham has smashed it into the roof of the net, but it hits him flush on the arm just before he does so. Vicente is away here from a very good pass. Finish wasn't bad either from Carlos Vicente. And Alaves are level. He sprung a long way clear, so it will be checked for offside.

4:40Goal given. And Xabi Alonso's reaction tells a story. And so does his.

4:53Rudiger steps in. Vinicius Junior sets off. Real Madrid are away here. It's Vinicius Junior. Rodrigo! So long without a Real Madrid goal. Two in quick succession. And might that be the winner? Real Madrid will quite happily keep it there. And the anxiety just lifts for now on Xavi Alonso.

5:21Alan Shearer:Well, Alex, if a victory was needed probably for a team and a coach, it was this one. It suddenly got a little bit nerve-wracking for them as well, didn't it? Yeah, he needed the win. He got the win. But he also needed a convincing performance. And it certainly wasn't a convincing performance. So, yes, I'm sure it's brought him some time, less urgency. But a really big week now coming up. They've got a game in the Copa del Rey against Talavera. And then a big weekend for them as well, because four points still behind Barcelona, a lot of injuries. I'll give them that double figures. Now they had no fit.

5:59Seven defenders missing. So Valde Penas made his debut. 19 year old defender plays for Real Madrid Castillo. I thought it did really well. Xabi Alonso actually called him out after the game, which I thought was a bit unfair for the goal. Yeah. For the goal they conceded, which was not really his fault. I think it was more Antonio Rudiger's fault if we watch it back. But yeah, he did call him out. He said that he played really well most of the game. The one mistake he made led to the goal, which was a brilliant goal, by the way. Carlos Vicente, superb finish on him. It was a superb finish, yeah.

6:30But yeah, obviously he doesn't have his full team at his disposal, Xabi Alonso. But it wasn't great from Real Madrid at all. Was it enough?

6:41Alan Shearer:I mean, I think if they were going to get rid of him, I think they'd have done it probably after the Champions League defeat, but I might be wrong. I mean, ultimately, it's the president that will decide, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I think he's obviously trying to get, Xabi is trying to get the players on his side. You can see that the fact that he started for the first time, Bellingham, Vinicius, Rodrigo and Mbappe, they'd never all started together. And I think that's a sign that he's trying to keep everybody happy, which is obviously impossible to do. And the irony of it being Rodrigo, who sort of phased out the team at the start of this season, who stepped up and saved him with the winning goal.

7:24And interesting, the Champions League,

7:26Alan Shearer:he ran over and hugged him, didn't he? Yep, yep. And he hugged Vinicius as well when he came off. Vinicius wasn't happy about a penalty that wasn't given to him. He was subbed shortly after that, but gave Xabi a big hug. And that was actually the headline of asked. Vinicius, hugs, Xabi you know that was worthy of a front page headline so yeah he's obviously trying, Xabi he wants to keep his job and the players, I think the players are happy but as you say it is Florentino Perez who makes the final call. What are they thinking press wise, media wise in Madrid about the situation do they think he'll survive it?

8:02They're pretty brutal aren't they pretty brutal, I think Marca's headline was Oxigeno so it's like so dramatic isn't it they've been given some oxygen keep him alive a little bit longer Shabby's been given some oxygen rather to keep him alive a little bit longer but no they're certainly not confident that they're sort of saying that I've read somewhere that they don't think he'll be there after the Super Cup and so that's January

8:28Alan Shearer:it's a mad world Mbappe certainly helped him their 17th goal in 17 La Liga games that's quite the record brilliant pass from Jude Bellingham as well Yeah, brilliant pass from Jude Bellingham and Mbappe. Yeah, because I think he didn't start against City, did he? And I think they really missed him. But then is that an issue as well? The fact, the over-reliance on killing Mbappe? Potentially, potentially. I would say on behalf of Mbappe, it's a testament to his ability to do that when a team is not flying, not at its best, not creating as many opportunities, perhaps as when they're absolutely at their peak.

9:04Alan Shearer:So, I mean, to score a goal a game when a team, I mean, it's hard to say struggling because, I mean, they're right near the top of the league. They're four points behind Barcelona, but it's all relevant. It's the different circumstances. And the football they're playing, you know, I think, as I said at the top, it's just not convincing at all. It just looks like a team of top individuals, but it's not a team. It's not a team. I think last week we said there's no identity and that's sort of how it felt yesterday. it's it's it's hard to work out how shabby shabby's obviously got a way he wants to play but i don't think the players are on board with it at the moment or whether he has the players to play the way he wants to play because obviously they're not his players yeah um they and they were very much an individual team last season as well yeah which is why they brought in shabby to try and sort it out exactly i mean damned if you do damned if you don't yeah i suppose the madrid fans are Are they on his side?

10:03Alan Shearer:Are they giving him the benefit of the doubt at the moment, generally speaking? No, they're not happy. They're not happy. There's a lot of booze at the Bernabeu at the moment. Or whistles. Whistles, booze, you name it. But it's very hard to please those Madridistas. Very, very hard. I would say it's probably, well, Barcelona's the same, you know, but one of, if not, the most demanding football club with the highest, highest expectations. Yeah, they want perfection, don't they? week in, week out. Very true. Rodrigo's been a kind of breath of fresh air for them. It's crazy, isn't it? Didn't give him any minutes earlier in the season and now he's become perhaps the player he can rely on.

10:44Yeah, he had that record, the unwanted record for the longest goal drought in Real Madrid history, which was 32 games. And then it always works out like this, doesn't it? Then scores two in the same week. Like London buses, you wait for ages and then two come along at once.

11:00Alan Shearer:32 games is a long wait though, isn't it? I mean, it's extraordinary really for a player of that talent. He's an exceptional footballer. Bellingham's going well. I think he's performing. He's got over his injury now and you can see he looks strong and fit. Back to his best. I just don't think they've quite got the balance right in midfield yet. We go back to the point we made last week where they, you know, to replace Kroos and Modric is tough. and they haven't quite probably got the experience in there that those, well, they certainly didn't have the experience in there. But also the control of the game is not quite there yet.

11:37Alan Shearer:There were a couple of counter-attacks from Alavest that you could see they were kind of wanting defensively. Yeah, I don't know. Do you agree with the fact that he started the four of them, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe and Rodrigo? Should he have started all four of those? He went very attacking, didn't he? Well, I think so. But Bellingham's a midfield player, you know. Bellingham, I mean, you don't have to play Bellingham as a 10. I mean, Jude can play. I think he's, personally, I think he's absolutely an eight. I mean, he can play anywhere, any position, basically. And he can play as a 10 brilliantly.

12:10Alan Shearer:But I think, for me, he covers so much ground. He's got such a great attitude. He's a box-to-box player. He can create brilliantly, as he showed with the first goal. But he's so good defensively. And I think as a 10, you sometimes can miss that a little bit because he gives you, I mean, for me, he's a classic box to box and an exceptional one midfield player. So even someone like Jose Mourinho over the years, he used to have, he'll have four at the back, two defensive midfield players and then play four attacking minded players. So you can play with four out and out forwards if you want. But I don't see Jude Bellingham as an out and out forward thinking player.

12:54Alan Shearer:I think he's got more to his game than that. He's wasted. Wasted. I don't think he's wasted because he's brilliant. But, and you want him obviously in offensive areas, but he can do both. I mean, he can, and he does anyway. Even when he plays in the 10-roll, he chases back. Because he's such an honest lad and obviously supremely talented. but he's got to find a way of playing because players need that they need to know what they're doing if you're changing all the time you're not quite finding your way and that's what it looks like at the moment it looks like the players aren't all on the same page they don't really know what they're doing but they have had as you quite rightly said if you've got a lot of defensive players out that's not going to help either particularly in fullback positions let's move on to Barcelona they overcame well a quite stubborn Osasuna at the Nou Camp, but they got all three points in the end.

13:47Alan Shearer:Let's have a look. Barcelona are eyeing a fifth straight win in all competitions. They take on an Osasuna side yet to win away from home in La Liga this season. García, who thinks about a shot and it whistled just wide at the post.

14:14Rafinha, Rashford, Torres in. Well, Ferran Torres is headed Barcelona in front, but it is going to be checked for offside. And that one is not going to count. It stays goalless.

14:36Pedri, Serge is clear and finds Rafinha. it's taken a while but Barcelona finally have the lead and it's Rafinha who has supplied it

14:54Yamal dancing away well denied by Herrera

15:04might have just been a little unsighted the Osasuna goalkeeper but he got across to make a good save Yamao. Koundé gets it back, takes a deflection and presents the simplest of opportunities for Rafinha to score a second.

15:28Gift-wrapped and on a plate, and Barcelona have yet another win.

15:38Alan Shearer:Rafinha was out for much of the season wasn't he early on but he's come back and he's come back with a bang particularly in this game first goal was terrific brilliant goal they really missed him when he was out he's obviously got a brilliant relationship with Pansy Flick as well who was full of praise for him after the game it was his birthday as well so happy birthday Rafinha yeah happy birthday Parabéns what a way to celebrate your birthday no but it took them a while it took them a while before that Rafinha brace it wasn't easy for them at all Osasuna did really well but one thing is good a clean sheet for Barcelona and another thing they didn't have to come back from behind to win which is not that ordinary at the moment I mean they've done that so many times this season I felt it was only a matter of time and I think that I mean they've got so much power power It's hard to see them not scoring in a particular match.

16:32Alan Shearer:It doesn't happen very often. So you sort of knew it would come. And they are particularly good generally in the second half. And I thought Lamin-Yumal showed some nice bits, creative, but chances were missed. They had a couple of disallowed goals as well. Torres had won the overhead kick. That was a shame. So it would have been a great goal. Some great work from Lamin-Yumal prior to that. Yeah, interesting. He started Rashford, Rafinha, Lamin and Ferran with Rashford playing centrally, which he did back in August, I think it was, against Levante. Do you remember Marcus Rashford started in that position?

17:10It didn't go to plan. He was taken off at half time. I mean, he like a little bit like Javi Alonso, although they're doing better, obviously.

17:19Alan Shearer:He's kind of moving them around, trying different things as well. I suppose it's slightly different circumstances because they're all doing pretty well. So he's got the issue of like keeping them all happy. He's rotating them. There's a lovely bit I saw from Hansi Flick himself talking about Marcus Rashford. He said, because he left him out in midweek. And he said something along the lines of, you know, I called Marcus in to explain to him why he wasn't playing. And Rashy, as they call him, I think. he said you don't need to explain to me the only thing that matters is the team and I thought right answer and he said that is a great attitude to have yeah that's so good that's so good I'm not sure Vinicius would say the same if Xabi called him in I suspect not Xabi you're absolutely right I would love to start on the bench in a Champions League game no good for Marcus he can obviously see the bigger picture and also he says that knowing that he's had a brilliant start to his Barcelona career as well.

18:21You know, he's not walking into that office thinking, oh, it's been terrible so far. Things haven't gone to plan. Confidence low. He's going in there knowing that he's already become a key part of that team.

18:31Alan Shearer:Yeah. And also he made a cross for Torres' disallowed goal that they had to go back to the corner. It was a short corner when he returned it to him that was offside. I think everyone was left flummoxed. It was one of those classic examples where, and they were right technically. anyway so it was marginal wasn't it it was marginal it was like tiny heel from a return from a corner and you think it's one of those where everyone's going they're trying to find a way of disallowing goals and sucking the life out of the game of football even though technically obviously they were correct well if we can trust the technology so seven straight wins now yes four points clear four points clear it's looking very good definitely going to be top at Christmas yes yeah there's one more round of fixtures isn't there and then they have they used to have quite a longer break than they have now but they still do have a couple of weeks don't they i'm slightly envious i must say oh i i used to want i mean that was the only other time i can remember having christmas off in my adult lifetime was when i was the three years um when i was at barcelona and two years when i was at japan aside from that um it was either playing or or working on boxing day for match of the day.

19:47Alan Shearer:So, yeah, it was, it was, it was so lovely to have Christmas off. What did you do? Come back, come back here? Yeah, I used to come back, see my, you know, see my parents and have Christmas with them. So good. And then they celebrate on the 6th, don't they? Dia de los Reyes. Yes. So, yeah, slightly envious. I think it's good for the players as well at this, this busy time to have that, have that break. It makes sense if you can fit the football in. It's one of the things that counts against the Premier League when it comes to major tournaments for England or other sides in the home nation. So, yeah, it's, you know, we've campaigned for a winter break for a long time.

20:29Alan Shearer:They had, they sort of did that ridiculous one where you get one weekend once some teams will get it one and some teams the other, which, I mean, you still didn't have enough time. It was like one, it was one match day free or something. It was fairly ludicrous. But yeah, looking good for Barcelona. But as we know, they started well in the season. Real Madrid went top for a while. Then Barcelona have now capitalised on Real Madrid's bad run of form. We want an exciting title race. We want an exciting title race. We do. We do. And we might get one. And one or two of the other sides in the chasing pack are still there.

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