David Alaba said "everything is more shadowy" compared to former Real Madrid team Bayern Munich as he learned to cope with the increasingly anticipated success.
Alaba's 13-year contract with Bundesliga champions Bayern ended in May after he turned down numerous offers from the Allianz Arena and joined La Liga giants Madrid.
The Austrian international has started 13 of Madrid's 14 games this season, with only Ed Militau and Tibot Courtova starting more often – playing a total of 1,170 minutes.
Alaba has excelled in a number of positions, instantly becoming a fan favourite in his first goal in a 2-1 win over Madrid rivals Barcelona on 24 October.
This makes Alaba the fifth Madrid player of the century to score on the Lasicico Bow after Brazilian icons Ronaldo (2003), Rud van Nistroi (2006), Rafael Varane and Jace Rodriguez (2013).
Alaba also assisted with a couple of goals, meaning only Marco Asensio (4), Vinicius (12) and Karim Benzema (19) were directly involved.
Alaba also has five clean sheets, which is a positive start to a new chapter in Alaba, with a versatile defender striding forward.
"I felt this special aura and atmosphere from day one," he told Kik. "When you walk through the training ground or through the city, you can tell the history of this club.
Asked about Madrid's comparison with Bayern, Alaba added: "Both clubs represent absolute success. Bayern are also one of the biggest clubs in the world, Madrid.
"Nothing could separate them. But in Madrid, in the absence of respect for Bayern, everything is just a bigger shadow.
Shortly before Arabba arrived in Madrid, Sergio Ramos moved freely to Paris Saint-Germain, where the long-time captain has made 671 appearances for the club.
Ramos has won four Champions League titles and five Raliga titles in 16 years in the Spanish capital, but Alaba doesn't see himself as a direct substitute for defense.
"I'm here to write my own story and play my game," he said. "I get comparisons from time to time, but I don't really bother them.
"People admit I'm playing here now. We are also different types of players and it is difficult to compare with each other.
Alaba played its full part in Saturday's 2-1 win over Elche, which brought Madrid to a draw with Sevilla and one point behind the unexpected leaders Real Sociedad.
This is Alaba's 10th appearance in the Spanish top flight and he has noticed a stylistic difference compared to the Bundesliga.
"Play wisely, Laliga is a little different," he said. "Even teams like Levante and Alaves are trying to play football from behind.
"As a centre-back, I have fewer aerial duels after scoring goals than in the Bundesliga. There, it plays forward more directly.
On the other hand, in Spain, a lot of stocks are on possession, even for the team at the bottom of the table.
"It's hard to say which is tougher, but they're certainly different.