Real Madrid has secured three extremely important points against Atletico Madrid (3-2) to continue in the fight for LaLiga and has headed into the last international break with five consecutive victories.

Alvaro Arbeloa's team thus puts an end to a great March, during which it qualified for the Champions League quarterfinals, and, precisely, it is on this point that Cadena SER journalist Rafael Alkorta focused when analyzing Los Blancos' improvement, pointing to the three players responsible for it.

"How noticeable it is when Brahim [Diaz], [Federico] Valverde, and Thiago [Pitarch] are on the field. Just with these three, Real Madrid presses and functions like clockwork to defend," said the former Basque player on the microphones of Cadena SER, on the program "Carrusel Deportivo."

"Fede [Valverde] has shown that when you want to press, you press," added Alkorta, who also had kind words for Fran Garcia and praised the work of head coach Arbeloa during these more than two months in which he has been coach of the Spanish capital team.

"Fran [Garcia] is having a very good game," said Alkorta, who went on to express his opinion on the current Madrid as a group.

"It is starting to remind me of [Carlo] Ancelotti's team from two seasons ago. A very pragmatic team, with players who can win you matches, but taking refuge in the back when necessary, suffering..." added the former Athletic Club player, who also analyzed the options that Real Madrid will have from now on as time goes by and as injured players return, although two of them are already available: Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham. Both ended up getting minutes in the derby.

"With the arrival of [Jude] Bellingham and [Kylian] Mbappe, it will give them an extra boost. Arbeloa knows how this team has to play, and it is working out well for him," said Alkorta.

Asked about the key to the great competitive moment that Real Madrid is experiencing, Arbeloa wanted to downplay his role and praised his players.

"When you have the best, it is easier. They know how to suffer, to be a great team. I always tell the players that. When the crowd pushes, it seems like the field is tilted. Grateful to everyone for being as united as possible," said the coach.

"I am getting to know them more and more. I arrived without time to work, to see how they would mix together. It is not easy. To arrive in the middle of a season and see how the team functions best. That is what has changed. I already know what my players are like, where I can get the best performance out of them. Surely there is still a lot to come. There are players coming back. We are evolving."

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