Xabi Alonso over Arne Slot? Not on this evidence

By the end of the night, any envious glances towards the opposition bench from Liverpool fans were a thing of the past - and a turning point had been reached in Slot's career, too.

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso gestures on the touchline. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

On a big Champions League night at Anfield, in a tie that was billed a match-up between the manager that Liverpool chose and the one they couldn’t get, it was Arne Slot who came out on top - just when people were beginning to cast envious glances at the Real Madrid bench.

That, of course, was where Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso was siting after an impressive spell in charge of Bayer Leverkusen and an outstanding start to the season in La Liga since taking over at the Bernabeu this year.

The man who scored the third goal in Liverpool’s incredible Champions League final comeback against Milan in Istanbul has a place in the hearts of every Kopite and has long been considered a potential Reds manager of the future. 

Not least when Jurgen Klopp stepped down and Liverpool eyes, inevitably, glanced back to Germany.

It never happened, of course, but on his return to Anfield there was a small but significant debate reverberating online around whether he would have been a better choice than the man who eventually got the call.

Most of those voices came from fans of other clubs, of course, but the discussion added a little extra to one of football’s greatest European rivalries; and it was Slot who came out on top, thanks to a thumping header from Alexis MacAllister and a high level performance from his team, who would have won by more if Thibaut Courtois had not been outstanding in Real's goal.

Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

The fact that tongues were wagging at all says a lot about how fast the football agenda moves.

When Slot lifted the Premier League trophy last season we were all in awe at what he had achieved, almost effortlessly, without spending big money and with nothing more than a tweak of the Klopp blueprint.

Not a single fan on the Kop that day, following a 2-2 draw against Spurs at Anfield, contemplated for a second that their club had appointed the wrong man or had overlooked a better option.

But, following a decidedly underwhelming start to the 2025-26 season, there was a very different build-up to this game, especially with Anfield legend Alonso in the opposition dugout.

The Real coach has happy memories of this ground after five years playing there and guiding Liverpool to a Champions League win, an FA Cup victory and a Uefa Super Cup triumph during his stay.

So, there was an agenda that supporters on Merseyside could start to look enviously at the away bench and wonder: Should it have been Xabi?

That agenda was boosted not only by Liverpool’s malaise in the Premier League (which has seen them lose to Brentford, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United) but by Real’s impressive form in La Liga, which has included a remarkable 13 wins in 14 games. That’s the best start to a season in Spain for 64 years.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot and Conor Bradley after the win. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

So, did Liverpool drop the ball when failing to tempt him back to Anfield after Jurgen Klopp stepped down in when Alonso was still at Leverkusen in Germany?

The evidence in his favour was outlined ahead of the tie and included:

• The rejuvenation of ‘forgotten’ stars such as Aurélien Tchouaméni, a €80 million signing from Monaco, and Turkish playmaker Arda Guler.
• A growing reputation for creating a team that is defensively solid, conceding only 11 goals and keeping six clean sheets until Liverpool found a way through.
• The fact he previously got the best out of Florian Wirtz at Leverkusen, a player who has struggled under Slot since a €132m move to England. Wirtz scored 38 goals in 119 games under the Spaniard.
• His ability to handle big egos, including not being afraid to substitute star winger Vinicius in La Liga – before he was re-introduced at Anfield.

That’s a long list. But Slot delivered answers of his own in a famous victory that put him back on course at Anfield and, surely, keeps the doubters at bay.

He stuck with Wirtz and was rewarded with a much-improved performance from the forward, who created five chances in the first half and looked much more himself on a positive night.

His own defence, much maligned this season, also showed huge improvement as they kept Real at bay, with Virgil van Dijk back to his best and veteran full-back Andrew Robertson finally back on form, too.

Liverpool’s midfield was outstanding, too, with Szoboszlai – the man whose classy free-kick was headed home by Alexi MacAllister, the pick of the pack on a night when only the form of Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois kept the score down.

Perhaps the real hero was Conor Bradley, starring at right-back on a night when his predecessor, Trent Alexander-Arnold ,was booed when brought on as a late substitute.

By the end of the night, any envious glances towards the opposition bench were a thing of the past - and a turning point had been reached in Slot's career, too.

The wrong choice? Not on this evidence.