Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso has demanded an immediate reaction from his players after their alarming dip in form continued with a 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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The loss, Madrid’s second defeat in seven matches, leaves them four points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona and has increased pressure ahead of Wednesday’s crucial Champions League meeting with Manchester City.
Madrid endured a miserable evening marked not only by the scoreline but also by discipline problems. Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were both dismissed, leaving Los Blancos to finish the match with nine men and further complicating Alonso’s preparations for the European showdown.
“We are all angry. Clearly, this was not the game we wanted and not the result we wanted,” Alonso said at full time. “We have to turn the page as quickly as possible. It’s only three points, but we need to react.”
The Real Madrid coach stressed that the Champions League presents the perfect platform for his side to reset after a run of only two wins in seven games in all competitions.
“We have the game against City to get this bad taste out of our mouths. We want to play well, we want to show that we can perform a lot better than we did today,” he added.
Madrid’s slump has sparked fresh speculation in the Spanish media about Alonso’s future, with Wednesday’s match being framed in some quarters as a defining moment for the coach. Alonso dismissed that narrative outright.
“We’re playing for three points in the Champions League, in a competition where we are in a good position,” he said. “That’s what matters. We are not playing for anything else.”
Despite the turbulence, Alonso remains focused on correcting Madrid’s immediate flaws: defensive fragility, inconsistency in midfield and a lack of cutting edge in the final third.
With Manchester City looming, the pressure is rising, but Alonso insists the responsibility is collective. “We know what we are capable of,” he said. “Now it is time to prove it.”
