Xabi Alonso's coaching position is severely shaken after the shock at Bernabeu

The surprising 0-2 loss against Celta Vigo has thrown Real Madrid into turmoil, but head coach Xabi Alonso retains his role before the vital Champions League clash with Manchester City.

A shocking 0-2 home defeat to Celta Vigo has deepened Real Madrid's crisis, however, the Royal Madrid club's leadership has decided to continue trusting coach Xabi Alonso at least until after the Manchester City match.

Real Madrid endured a night to forget at Bernabeu after losing 0-2 to Celta Vigo, a team positioned in the lower half of La Liga and winless in 22 matches against the “Los Blancos.” Two second-half goals from Williot Swedberg ended Celta's drought and intensified the pressure on coach Xabi Alonso.

The Royal team has won only one out of their last five La Liga matches and risks dropping to third place if Villarreal wins their rescheduled game. Additionally, Real has managed just two wins in seven matches across all competitions, allowing archrivals Barcelona to extend their lead to four points.

The situation worsened as Real Madrid finished the match with only nine players after Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were sent off. In the post-match press conference, Alonso admitted: “We are all very disappointed. This is neither the performance nor the result we wanted. But this is just three points lost. The whole team must quickly recover and respond strongly in the Champions League.”

According to AS, the upcoming match against Manchester City this week is considered a “do-or-die test” for Alonso and Real Madrid. However, the loss to Celta Vigo has not immediately threatened the Spanish coach's position. President Florentino Perez is said to still have faith in Alonso, at least until the team completes the Champions League group stage.

Xabi Alonso, who was expected to inherit Carlo Ancelotti’s legacy after winning the 2023/24 Bundesliga with Leverkusen, is now facing his first difficult phase as Real’s head coach. Nevertheless, he insists he will not back down: “We are united and fully aware of the enormous pressure at Real Madrid. But the entire team must look forward, take responsibility together, and regain form.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City, Real’s next opponent, recently defeated Sunderland 3-0 to maintain second place in the Premier League, just two points behind Arsenal. Coach Pep Guardiola declared his intent to “play according to our identity” when traveling to Bernabeu, where Man City were eliminated last season with a 3-6 aggregate score.

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