Real Madrid’s struggles continue to intensify. After a painful defeat to Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, their return to La Liga has not brought relief either. Xabi Alonso’s side remains inconsistent, and despite a single Champions League victory in between, the overall mood in the Los Blancos camp is far from positive. Now, with Manchester City looming, the pressure has mounted even more as they prepare for a crucial Europa League matchup.
The Spanish giants are set to welcome Pep Guardiola’s City to the Santiago Bernabéu at 2 AM on Wednesday. But ahead of this clash, the biggest concern is the fitness of Kylian Mbappé — the team’s most reliable and in-form player. Mbappé missed the club’s open training session due to a left leg muscle issue, and this has intensified speculation that he may not be ready to face City.
Mbappé Injury Adds to Real’s Crisis
Mbappé has been Real Madrid’s standout performer this season, leading the La Liga scoring charts with 25 goals and 4 assists across La Liga and the Champions League. In Europe’s top competition, 75% of Real Madrid’s goals have come directly from him, and half of their league goals have been influenced by him.
Real Madrid already suffered a 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo in their most recent La Liga match. Now, with Mbappé and at least seven other players unavailable, the team appears dangerously vulnerable.
“The absence of so many players takes us to the edge,” a club insider commented as Real Madrid’s injury list continued to grow.
The sidelined players include Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, and Eduardo Camavinga — making the situation even more troubling.
Alonso Focused but Under Pressure
Speaking to the media before the showdown with City, Xabi Alonso shared a composed but cautious perspective:
“𝑰𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒚 — 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆.”
He added that the club is fully focused on the upcoming Champions League match, particularly because it’s at the Bernabéu. Alonso believes the energy and atmosphere of their home ground could help flip the narrative.
The coach, however, is aware of the stakes. A poor result against Manchester City could place his job in jeopardy. Yet Alonso remains confident:
“𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒅, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆. 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅.”
Real will be facing Manchester City for the 13th time in ten years. They famously defeated Guardiola’s side to win the Champions League titles in 2022 and 2024. This season, Real sit fifth in the group with 12 points from five games, trailing leaders Arsenal by three.
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