Xabi Alonso spoke in the press room at the King Abdullah Stadium and analysed the final of the Spanish Super Cup: “There are mixed emotions. On the one hand, the disappointment at not being able to win the final, but there is also pride because the team has given its all from the first minute to the last in undesirable circumstances. We competed and fought right to the end. The final was very even, with different moments, different circumstances, goals and reactions. We fought right to the end and we came very close, with those last two chances to equalise and to go to penalties."

"The team competed well. We're not pleased with the result, but we can take positives from it. There's a long way to go in the season and we have to turn it around as soon as possible. When we get to Madrid we'll forget about this Super Cup, think about all the competitions we have and get people back, which is the most crucial thing right now.”

Commitment
“The team showed great attitude and great commitment. There were going to be times when we had to have resilience without the ball and conviction in what we were doing. The first 30 minutes we hardly conceded [chances] and we had two good counter-attacks. We conceded that first goal from a turnover and in the last 15 minutes of the first half a lot happened in a short space of time. The second half was quite competitive and evenly matched. A deflection made it 3-2 and I was convinced that we were going to have chances to equalise and we had them, but we lacked the accuracy to take the game to penalties.”

Did fitness play a part in the final minutes?
"We had the chances. Injuries condition you. The substitution of Fede because of the injury. Huijsen has made a huge effort and has got as far as he could. It wasn't the physical condition, but the injuries, which are affecting our distribution of minutes and our stability. Some players are making a great effort and it shows."

Praise for Vini Jr.
“He came on and did very well until the 85th minute. He had a big impact and he couldn't take it anymore because of the humidity and the cramp he had. He asked to be substituted. He had a great game. He was outstanding and the goal was spectacular. He was a great threat.”

Mbappé
“He was going to come on before we conceded for the 3-2. There were 15 or 20 minutes left and with him we wanted to create a threat, to threaten and to play between the lines or in space. We wanted to push for those 15 or 20 minutes with the changes and new energy. He wasn't ready to start a match with the intensity he was going to have and it was better to use him to make an impact. That was the idea and that's what we decided.”