Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso faces mounting pressure ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League group-stage meeting against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, but the Spaniard was confident the team could tursn their poor form around. Sunday’s 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo, in which Real were reduced to nine players after defenders Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were sent off, left the club second in LaLiga with 36 points, four behind leaders Barcelona.
Adding to Alonso’s challenges, Madrid could be without as many as eight key players, including top-scorer Kylian Mbappe, who missed training on Tuesday with a muscle injury. “Football can change quickly… for good or for bad,” Alonso told a press conference on Tuesday. “After the Celta match, we’ve already drawn our conclusions.
“Now it’s just City in our minds. It’s the Champions League, we’re at the Bernabeu. It will be different because of the energy that’s created. That’s what’s on our minds, what’s ahead of us.” Asked whether his job could be at risk if Real falter against City, Alonso remained defiant. “When you coach Real Madrid, you have to be prepared for situations like this. We are a team, we are all united,” he said.