According to an AFP report, Alonso’s position is under increasing scrutiny after Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo, even as he publicly insists the City clash is about points, not job security.

The toughest test with pressure already peaking

The Celta loss was ugly in every sense. Madrid’s perfect home league record vanished, Williot Swedberg scored twice, Jude Bellingham left the pitch with blood streaming from a cut above his eye, and Madrid finished with nine men after red cards for Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras.

It was only their second league defeat in 16 games, but it capped a run of just wins in seven across all competitions and allowed Barcelona to stretch their lead at the top to four points – a brutal swing given Madrid had led by five after El Clásico in October.

Alonso did not sugarcoat the performance. “We are all angry, this was not the game we wanted, it was not the result we wanted,” he told the reporters at Bernabeu, stressing that the team must turn the page quickly. He pointed out that, in the standings, “it’s only three points” and highlighted the Champions League tie against City as the chance to react and get rid of the “bad taste” left by Celta.

The reaction, however, now carries more than just qualification implications. Madrid’s prolonged dip in form has led to speculations over his future in Spanish media, with the Celta defeat intensifying questions over whether the project is slipping off course. A mounting injury list has further complicated his task.

Xabi Alonso was asked directly if he is effectively coaching for his job against City. He pushed the narrative back towards football. Madrid, he said, are “playing for three points in the Champions League, in a competition we’re in a good position in, and that’s what we’re playing for.”

The reality is harsher than his framing. A strong performance against Pep Guardiola’s side would buy the Basque credibility and calm the discourse around him. Another classic night, on the back of a Celta, risks turning background speculation into an open debate about whether Real Madrid’s bold Alonso experiment is already running out of time.