"He created those decisive moments" - Xabi Alonso claims one Real Madrid star has 'desire' to inspire his teammates after 1-0 Osasuna win

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has heaped praise on Kylian Mbappe for his performance against Osasuna. The Spanish believes that the former PSG star is pushing others to do better on the pitch.

Speaking to the media after the 1-0 win over Osasuna, Alonso said he was unsure if Mbappe is doing more because of his new jersey number, but claimed that the Frenchman is keen on doing more on the pitch. He added that the forward was creating chances for his teammates and it will benefit them in the long run. He said via (TNT Sports):

"You can see that Kylian wants to do even more after this first year where he did great things. I don't know if it's linked to the new number or not, or simply to his desire to win, but he wants to improve individual and collective performance and inspire his team-mates. You can see his desire every day. Today he created those decisive moments that enable us to win matches."

Mbappé spoke about the number 10 jersey he has taken on this summer following the departure of Luka Modrić. The Real Madrid star admitted that he knows the importance of the jersey and said:

"It's special, an important number here. I wore the No. 9, which also was. I've been lucky enough to have two important numbers in two seasons, but the most important thing is to play here, at the Bernabeu, for Real Madrid."

Kylian Mbappe scored the lone goal of the match from the spot early in the second half to grab all three points.

Kylian Mbappe on Real Madrid's win over Osasuna

Kylian Mbappe spoke to the media after the 1-0 win over Osasuna and said that the win was important for Real Madrid. He added that they knew the game was going to be tough after a short pre-season and said (via Yahoo)

“It was important for us to start with a win at home. We knew it was going to be difficult. Osasuna had a clear plan to wait for us, and they had Budimir. In the first half, we didn’t have any space, and then in the second half, we scored early. We had more chances and had more control. We hoped to score a second, but it didn’t come. We’re happy with the win and we’re going for more.”

Real Madrid face Oviedo next in the league, before taking on Mallorca in the final match of the month.