Real Madrid Fall 2–1 To Man City As Pressure Mounts On Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid’s night at the Bernabéu ended in frustration as Manchester City edged out a 2–1 win, a result that immediately placed renewed scrutiny on Xabi Alonso’s position. The encounter had been framed as a decisive moment for the coach, and the loss now leaves his future in the hands of Florentino Pérez.

Madrid actually started with purpose, imposing themselves in the early stages and creating enough danger to go ahead more than once. Their breakthrough finally arrived in the 28th minute when Rodrygo—ending a long goal drought—finished confidently and briefly lifted the mood inside the stadium.

That momentum evaporated quickly. City responded through Nico O’Reilly, who levelled soon after, and the turnaround was complete before the interval when Erling Haaland converted a penalty in the 43rd minute to make it 2–1.

The performance was uneven—far from Madrid’s poorest but never fully convincing. With Kylian Mbappé unavailable, the team lacked sharpness in key moments, and the crowd made its displeasure clear through whistles and flashes of anger as the match slipped away.