Alonso Left Teetering as Haaland’s Penalty Silences the Bernabéu
It’s been a dramatic, almost dizzying few weeks for Xabi Alonso, and this match felt like the moment everything came to a head. Just a month ago, Real Madrid looked stable, confident, and very much in control. But suddenly, the results have dried up, the pressure has rocketed, and now this defeat against Manchester City has pushed Alonso right to the edge. From the outside, the slide seems quick and unforgiving, and inside the stadium, that tension could practically be felt in the air.
Real Madrid actually started the night with purpose, showing flashes of the fluid, wide, attacking football that usually lifts the Bernabéu to its feet. Rodrygo finally ended his long scoring drought, and the way he sprinted straight into Alonso’s embrace during the celebration said everything about the locker-room mood. Despite reports of unhappy players, there was genuine fight in this squad. The footballing gods, however, weren’t interested in helping.
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City grew into the match slowly, not stunning or silky, but definitely sharp where it mattered. And Pep Guardiola, burned by his own missteps in their previous Champions League outing, wasn’t taking any risks. He fielded his strongest lineup, and even though this wasn’t the most spectacular City performance, they were good enough—and that was really all they needed to be.
Nico O’Reilly grabbed the equaliser, a massive moment for the youngster and a blow that rattled Madrid’s early momentum. Then came the turning point: Rüdiger misjudged his battle with Haaland, stumbled, and fell on top of him in the box. VAR stepped in, and the penalty was given. Haaland, of course, took it with icy calm, punishing Madrid with a finish that felt almost inevitable.
From there, Madrid chased the game with everything they had. Bellingham had a golden chance to level it, but his delicate chip drifted too far. Vinícius and Rodrygo kept running, stretching, trying to conjure something, anything. Endrick, thrown on in a bold, desperate substitution, came painfully close when his header crashed off the crossbar. It felt like the universe itself was leaning the other way.
And on the touchline, Alonso watched it all unfold—helpless, hopeful, and hurting. His team fought, yes, but the margins refused to bend. The injury crisis in defence, Mbappé stuck on the bench and unfit, a brutal fixture list, relentless pressure from fans and media… all of it was weighing on him. When the final whistle blew, the shrill whistles of the home crowd told their own story.
City walked away with a gritty, satisfying comeback win. Madrid walked away with questions—big ones. And Alonso? He walked away knowing that time, the rarest commodity for a Real Madrid manager, may now be running out.
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