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Why Real Madrid's Champions League showdown with Manchester City is crucial for Xabi Alonso's future
As Real Madrid prepare to host Manchester City in Matchday 6 of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, speculation surrounding Xabi Alonso’s future is mounting.
The legendary former midfielder was only appointed in the summer, but they lost to Celta Vigo on Sunday and have won just two of their last seven games.
Here, DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall examines why Alonso is starting to feel the heat.
Defeats for Los Blancos are never acceptable
Anything less than top spot in La Liga is tantamount to failure for a club of Real Madrid’s stature.
Losing 2-0 at home to Celta Vigo on Sunday ended their 100% home winning record in the league this season.
Perhaps more worryingly, it left them four points adrift of bitter rivals Barcelona at the summit.
The loss to Vigo increased the scrutiny on Alonso ahead of the visit by City and there is already talk that he is facing the axe.
The 44-year-old summed up the current mood in the Madrid camp when he said: “It hurts and we’re angry. We need to turn the page as quick as possible.”
Injuries beginning to bite
Madrid’s casualty list has started to mount in recent weeks and has certainly not helped their cause.
Defender Eder Militao hobbled off at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu pitch in the first half and joins David Alaba, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen and Ferland Mendy on the injured list.
Real's woes against Celta were compounded by red cards for Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras.
Jude Bellingham also suffered a cut above the eye but is expected to feature against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Alonso said after Sunday’s loss: “We’re struggling with injuries. It was hard for us to react.”
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Relationships with players
It has been speculated that all is not well between Alonso and certain members of his squad.
Tactical decisions and the system of playing has also come under the microscope.
Yet Alonso insisted: “The team is united and convinced that we can win tomorrow.
“To do so, we have to play a good game, with good rhythm and high intensity.”
Midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni echoed Alonso's comments regarding the camp being united, saying: “We’re all in this together.
“If we want to win games, we all have to pull in the same direction.
“We’re on the pitch and we have to do things better.
“Tomorrow we have a good opportunity to change the momentum and get more points in the Champions League.”
Huge test lies ahead against Haaland and Co
Real Madrid and Manchester City have faced other 14 times in the Champions League since their first-ever meeting in 2012-13.
Few teams know each other better and Madrid have five wins, City have four and there have been five draws.
The Spanish giants beat Guardiola’s side home and away last season but Alonso knows his men face a big challenge at the Etihad.
He said: “It’s a big match and a good opportunity for us to continue progressing with more points in the Champions League.
“The players already know what kind of match we’re going to have and we hope to play a good game.
“We are mentally prepared to face everything that lies ahead.”
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Ex-Liverpool team-mate linked with Alonso's job
Already there are candidates being talked about as potential successors to Alonso should he be sacked.
Those include former Anfield team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa, who is in charge of the club’s reserve side Real Madrid Castilla and is understood to have impressed at the third division team.
It is a role the 42-year-old ex-defender has held since May after working his way up the ranks, having first returned to the Bernabeu as Under-14 coach in 2020.
Arbeloa has won eight of his 15 matches in charge of Castilla and has been touted as an option for the top job at Madrid along with ex-Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane and former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Alonso has even been linked with the Liverpool job as pressure mounts on incumbent Anfield boss Arne Slot following their dreadful campaign so far.
The Real Madrid manager, who famously helped inspire the Reds to Champions League glory as a player in 2005, admitted: “There’s a bond with Liverpool. I’m in the place where I want to be [Real Madrid], you never know what will happen in the future.”
Full Champions League fixture list for Round 6
Tuesday, 9 December
- Kairat Almaty vs Olympiacos
- Bayern Munich vs Sporting CP
- Atalanta vs Chelsea
- Barcelona vs Eintracht Frankfurt
- Inter vs Liverpool
- Monaco vs Galatasaray
- PSV Eindhoven vs Atletico Madrid
- Tottenham Hotspur vs Slavia Prague
- Union St. Gilloise vs Marseille
Wednesday, 10 December
- Qarabag FK vs Ajax
- Villareal vs FC København
- Athletic Club vs PSG
- Leverkusen vs Newcastle
- Benfica vs Napoli
- Dortmund vs Bodø/Glimt
- Club Brugge vs Arsenal
- Juventus vs Pafos FC
- Real Madrid vs Man City
How to watch the Champions League in the USA on DAZN
Soccer fans in the US can watch selected Champions League matches as part of their DAZN subscription package, in Spanish language.
For each match week, DAZN will have exclusive coverage of the top three pick games, including the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, and PSG, in Spanish. Click here to see which games are available on DAZN .
An annual subscription costs $19.99 per month for 12 months and also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.
CBS has coverage of every Champions League match in English language this season. You can get more details and subscribe to CBS's Champions League coverage here.
Fans can watch extra Champions League games in Spanish on ViX. A selection of those matches are also available on UNIMÁS and TUDN.
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Every Champions League game during the 2025-26 season is streamed in high-definition and comes as part of a DAZN subscription.
An annual subscription costs $14.99 per month for 12 months and also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.
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Watch every game of the Champions League this season in Canada with a DAZN subscription.
There are three subscription options, offering differing selections of sports in each. Access to every Champions League match is included in all three package offerings, ranging from $29.99 to $44.99 per month (for 12 months)
