Pressure is on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso ahead of Champions League match against Man City

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The pressure is mounting on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League match with Manchester City.

Madrid has won just two of its last seven in all competitions including a 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo over the weekend.

Ahead of the City match, Alonso had to contend with reports in the Spanish media that he had lost control of the locker room.

“This is a team, and we all stand together,” he said. “In soccer, you can change perspective quickly, and we’re at that point.”

Doubts over Kylian Mbappé’s availability added to Alonso’s concerns. The France striker trained separately to the rest of the team on Tuesday, having reportedly had issues with is left leg.

City manager Pep Guardiola sympathized with Alonso, who he coached as a player at Bayern Munich.

“Barcelona and Real Madrid are the toughest clubs to be manager of because of the environment,” he said. “It’s a difficult place but he knows it — it’s the reality of being here.”

Other games on Wednesday include defending champion Paris Saint-Germain at Athletic Bilbao, Arsenal at Club Brugge and Italian champion Napoli at Benfica.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer