Xabi Alonso’s managerial era at Real Madrid is up and running.
The Spanish giants have recorded back-to-back wins against Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg in the Club World Cup to reach the round of 16.
Academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia has stolen the spotlight with his tremendous performances.
The 21-year-old has stepped up in Kylian Mbappe’s absence, netting two goals and an assist in three games.
His strike in the draw against Al-Hilal was Mbappe-esque, making an explosive run from deep on the counter-attack before slotting in Rodrygo’s pass into the net.
Garcia showcased his on-the-ball abilities against Pachuca. His sensational flick in the build-up to Jude Bellingham’s goal and his weight of the pass to set up Arda Guler were of the highest quality.
The Spaniard capped off the 3-0 routing against Salzburg with a sneaky run behind the defence before netting a composed finish.
His silky first touches, bursts of pace, brilliant movements, finishing and work rate have earned him comparisons to Madrid legend Raul, who also managed him at Castilla.
Garcia will look to continue his rich vein of form when Los Merengues face Juventus in the last-16 of the Club World Cup.
Garcia – the new diamond from Castilla
Garcia has shown that he can flourish in Alonso’s system, meaning he is likely to play a prominent role heading into the new season.
Coming off the back of a sensational campaign with Castilla, where he scored 25 goals in 36 games, the Spaniard has translated his form to the first team.
Madrid are reportedly in the market for a new centre-forward in the mould of former player Joselu – cost-effective yet capable of delivering results.
But they should look towards Garcia, who can be a perfect back-up for Mbappe or even compete for a regular spot.
He can also take his game to new heights under Alonso, who developed Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong at Bayer Leverkusen.
There have been only a few players from Castilla to transition successfully to the first team in recent years, but Garcia can break the mould and be a huge success.
He has the potential to follow in the footsteps of legendary Madrid strikers such as Raul, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
