Ancelotti faced his biggest problem last year in the matches they played against Barcelona. He had such a poor performance against Barcelona that Real Madrid lost every match last year. Barcelona scored four goals, Barcelona scored five. Real Madrid looked like a mediocre team last year. This year, everyone expects success from Xabi Alonso, especially in these matches. Therefore, these matches will be a significant stepping stone for Xabi's career.
I think that one of the main reasons for Ancelotti’s dismissal was that they lost all the matches in Barcelona last season. This season, Alonso is expected to make Real better, but I will also say that it’s clear Barcelona are not as strong in attack this season, and I still can’t understand why. Maybe it’s just the beginning of the season and things will change later, but if it continues like this, then Ancelotti will really have an easier time in the matches against Barcelona.