Alonso hails prolific Mbappe ahead of Juventus clash

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MADRID - Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso praised Kylian Mbappe for his stellar form this season, as the French forward tops both the LaLiga and Champions League scoring charts ahead of Wednesdays home clash with Juventus.

Mbappe, 26, who joined Real from Paris St Germain last season, has scored 10 goals in nine LaLiga matches and five in two Champions League appearances, alongside three goals for the French national team this term.

His form has helped Real make a strong start under Alonso, winning 10 of their 11 games across all competitions. The Spanish side lead LaLiga with 24 points, two ahead of Barcelona, and have secured maximum points in the Champions League.

Its not just the goals, Alonso told reporters on Tuesday. His influence is almost as important in terms of his teammates following him with and without the ball. Hes helping us. Hes scored goals everywhere. The influence, as well as the goals, is what the team needs.

Real face a struggling Juve side who have not won in more than a month and sit seventh in the Serie A standings, four points behind leaders AC Milan. However, Alonso warned against taking the Italians lightly.

Were on alert for Juve tomorrow. Any Italian team thats struggling can be dangerous. We must not forget history. Juve are a big club, both now and in the past. They have some very good players, he said.

Its a European classic. They have faced each other many times, and I’ve played in some of those games. We feel very prepared. We want our third Champions League victory and to get off to a great start.

We need the stadium. People go to