By Francis Onyach - Reporter
Thursday December 11 2025 - Real Madrid’s hopes of salvaging the 2025–26 season suffered a fresh blow after Manchester City came from behind to win 2–1 at the Santiago Bernabéu, increasing pressure on Xabi Alonso and fuelling speculation that this could be his final match in charge.
Despite a promising start with Rodrygo breaking his 33-game drought by scoring in the 28th minute, Madrid’s defensive weakness proved costly.
City equalised through Nico O'Reilly after a goalkeeping error, and Erling Haaland converted a first-half penalty to complete the comeback.
This defeat marks back-to-back home losses for Real, coming just days after a 2–0 loss to Celta Vigo, painting a worrying picture of inconsistency.
The club has now won only two of their last eight matches across all competitions, a record hardly befitting a club of Real Madrid’s stature.
Following the final whistle, boos echoed around the Bernabéu, a clear sign that fans are losing patience.
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Meanwhile, Spanish media outlets report that the club hierarchy is already discussing potential replacements.
In the post-match press conference, Alonso insisted he still backed his players and believed the team’s attitude was right, but acknowledged the result “hurts” and the club needs to stay critical and demanding.
Real Madrid remain in a precarious spot: their standing in the Champions League group phase and domestic league gives them breathing room, but momentum is gone, and pressure has never been higher.
As one editorial put it: “the match encapsulated both Madrid’s persistent fighting spirit and their struggle for consistency.”
If the club’s hierarchy and the fans demand immediate results, this could indeed be the end of Xabi Alonso’s project at Real Madrid. A new manager may be imminent, and the next few days could decide not only the club’s season, but who leads them from here.
