Real Madrid tried long and hard to see their first La Liga game of the new season postponed or rescheduled given the dire shortage of rest in their hectic calendar. After all, it has been just over a

Ahead of their opening game of the La Liga season, The Sporting News takes a look at three key issues Alonso must address. Alonso needs to hit the ground running in front of an expectant Estadio Santiago Bernabeu crowd in Madrid - particularly as Barcelona opened their title defence with a ruthless 3-0 win in Mallorca.