With Kylian Mbappé hitting goals at will and his side winning its first seven games of the season, Alonso appeared to be off to a terrific start. After defeating Barcelona, even a loss to Atletico Madrid was somewhat forgotten. Then a problem occurred.
The team’s performance plummeted following a Champions League defeat at Liverpool last month. Any club can lose at Anfield, but three straight draws in La Liga against Rayo Vallecano, Elche, and Girona raised concerns at Madrid, which believes it is the greatest team in the world.
Wednesday’s Champions League defeat to Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola. At the Santiago Bernabeu, the squad was jeered by some irate supporters during each of those defeats.
Only a few months after leaving Bayer Leverkusen because of his outstanding work there, which resulted in the Bundesliga title in 2024, all bets are now off on Alonso’s future.
On Sunday, Madrid will travel to Alaves in northern Spain to play in the Spanish league. Alonso stated that he is not shocked by the criticism and uncertainties.
Alonso under pressure as Real prepare for critical trip to Alaves
Osasuna will be welcomed by Barcelona, led by German Hansi Flick, on Saturday with great optimism. With 40 points, the league leaders have profited from the return of midfielder Pedri and captain Raphinha.
Both were instrumental in Barcelona’s 2-1 Champions League triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, which was their fourth straight victory in all competitions. On Sunday, Villarreal, in third place with 35 points and a match remaining against the leaders, will face Levante, their local rivals.
Villarreal has won six straight league games under manager Marcelino Garcia Toral, which is a refreshing change of pace from their Champions League record of one point from six games. On Saturday, Atletico Madrid will play a struggling Valencia team in an attempt to recover from consecutive league losses.
Diego Simeone’s team had been undefeated in La Liga for more than two months, but defeats to Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona have dropped them to fourth place with 31 points, farther behind their title-chasing rivals.
