Alonso charges Real Madrid to bounce back against Man City

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso

Xabi Alonso says Real Madrid must “turn the page quickly” as they prepare for Tuesday’s crucial UEFA Champions League matchday six clash against Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Los Blancos head into the tie reeling from a shock 2-0 home loss to Celta Vigo on Sunday, a result that ended their perfect home record in LaLiga and left them four points behind leaders Barcelona. With little time to dwell on the setback, Alonso is demanding an immediate response.

“We need to turn the page as quickly as possible,” Alonso said on Monday, as Spanish media speculated about tension between the coach and his players.

“There’s a long way to go in La Liga. And we have the Champions League match against City to react and get rid of this bad taste in our mouths.”

Real Madrid have now won just one of their last five league matches, placing Alonso under pressure for his team selection, system and tactical decisions. The situation has been worsened by a growing injury crisis, and Sunday’s match ended with two red cards.

“We’re struggling with injuries. It was hard for us to react,” Alonso added. “It hurts, we’re angry, and we understand why people are angry.”

Eder Militao limped off in the first half against Celta and now joins David Alaba, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen and Ferland Mendy on the sidelines. Jude Bellingham, who suffered a cut above his eye, is expected to be available for the City clash.

“The situation is tight due to injuries. We have to make adjustments for each match, and we’ll see how things go for Wednesday,” said Alonso, who took over from Carlo Ancelotti at the start of the season.

While AS reported that Alonso was failing to motivate his squad and Marca questioned whether he could “fix” the growing issues, the coach insisted the team remains united.

“We’re all united and know that we can turn things around. There’s still a long way to go. You can have a bad game at home, but we know the demands at this club,” he said. “Defeats hurt a lot, but we have to look ahead.”

Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.

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