Xabi Alonso Facing Real Madrid Axe After Defeat to Manchester City

The hosts battled valiantly against Manchester City, but a second successive home defeat has pushed their manager closer to the exit.

On a night that could have been his last, Xabi Alonso watched his team defy their fate, and perhaps his own, only to fall short once more.

He heard the whistles from the stands and the sound of the final whistle, shared an embrace with his former mentor, and then, defeated for the second time in four days at the Bernabéu, disappeared down the tunnel without a backward glance.

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Real Madrid had taken the fight to Manchester City, scoring first and later chasing a comeback. But in the end, as Rodrygo put it, "it was not enough."

The question now is whether the performance was sufficient to save the coach. After a run of just two wins in seven games, some members of the club's hierarchy were reportedly ready to dismiss Alonso last Sunday.

The decision was postponed, but this match was widely seen as a final judgment. Having now extended that poor run to one win in eight, there is no guarantee Alonso will be back, though his survival is not entirely out of the question either.

Madrid competed; they did not capitulate. While there were moments when fans whistled their own team, there were also times they roared them on. This was an improved display, showing signs of life, spirit, and a touch of the old Madrid.

Alonso insisted there was "nothing to reproach," highlighting the many positives. His team was beaten by a scrappy goal and a disputed penalty, and a dramatic, arguably deserved, late equaliser was denied by the crossbar.

Ultimately, however, there was no heroic comeback, no improbable resurrection. And so, Alonso greeted Pep Guardiola and made a swift exit, leaving his players on the pitch. "This bad moment will pass," he later stated.

On the eve of their first managerial clash, Guardiola was asked if he had any advice for Alonso. "Yes," the City coach replied, "que mee con la suya"—essentially, "piss with your own dick." In other words, do it your way. The decisions should be his, not imposed by the dressing room or the boardroom. His team should be built on conviction, not compromise.

It would be a stretch to say that's what Alonso did here, given his hand was forced by a long list of absentees including Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, and David Alaba, while Kylian Mbappé was a last-minute withdrawal with an ankle injury.

Yet, the starting XI was unusual, breaking from the star system by returning Vinícius Júnior to a central role and deploying Rodrygo out wide. The surprise inclusion was Dani Ceballos, a genuine playmaker in midfield, and the performance was, at times, encouraging.