The jeers that greeted Pep Guardiola before kick-off were swallowed by travelling City fans after Manchester City produced a crucial 2-1 Champions League win at the Bernabéu, leaving Xabi Alonso clinging to his job. Guardiola’s relationship with Real’s rivals had not been forgotten by the home crowd, and the sight of visitors celebrating inside the stadium added to the pressure on Alonso.
Despite pre-match reports suggesting a loss could cost him his job, BBC Sport understands Alonso is not facing immediate dismissal and is likely to remain in post for the coming days. That could change, however, if Real suffer a third straight defeat at Alavés on Sunday.
When the final whistle confirmed the defeat, stadium music was turned up — apparently to drown out boos aimed at the coach — and many home supporters had already begun leaving. Once the volume dropped, around 2,500 visiting fans could be heard chanting that they had ‘Guardiola’, a moment that will sting Madridistas.
The club’s hierarchy has been active behind the scenes: the board discussed its options late into the night after Sunday’s loss to Celta Vigo, and further meetings are expected following Wednesday’s result. When asked after the game whether he had spoken to president Florentino Pérez, Alonso simply said he had come straight to the press conference.
On the pitch, Real started well and took the lead through Rodrygo’s low finish, but the tide turned late in the first half when they conceded twice — Nico O’Reilly scoring from close range and Erling Haaland converting a penalty. The crowd’s momentum, which had been positive until then, was silenced by the spot-kick.
Frustration resurfaced between the 65th and 71st minutes when supporters whistled at the players, urging them to ‘give us more.’ The side responded by creating chances in the closing stages, a sign some will point to in Alonso’s favour. Yet many fans remain unconvinced that problems lie solely with the manager; there is a perception that some players are not fully buying into his methods and are failing to execute his instructions.
Alonso, who took over from Carlo Ancelotti after a spell at Bayer Leverkusen and began the season brilliantly — winning 13 of his first 14 games in charge — has seen that form ebb since a defeat at Liverpool on 4 November. Real have managed only two wins in eight matches since that setback and now trail Barcelona by four points in La Liga. In Europe, Madrid are only clinging on in the Champions League on goal difference, and the club have suffered five group-stage defeats since lifting the trophy two years ago.
Speaking after the game Alonso defended his players’ commitment: ‘The performance has been intense. A professional Champions League-level game. They have given their best, so from my side no complaints. It is hard to take another defeat but we tried until the end.’
Captain and England international Jude Bellingham also voiced support for the coach, telling TNT Sport that the squad were ‘100%’ behind Alonso and highlighting strong internal conversations after the early-season run of form faded. ‘No one’s downing tools, no one’s complaining and moaning thinking the season is over,’ he said.
Still, concerns persist about culture and style. Some observers believe a clash has emerged between Alonso’s stricter, tactical approach and players who prefer a more aggressive pressing game. That tension, combined with poor results, has left the Bernabéu atmosphere increasingly hostile.
Juan Castro, a football journalist at Marca, told BBC Radio 5 Live he was pessimistic about Alonso’s long-term prospects. He noted that while the team competed, successive home defeats make it difficult for any coach to survive in Madrid. Castro pointed out that Pérez is unlikely to tolerate repeated losses and argued that even if the club opts to change manager in December, finding the right replacement would not be straightforward.
For now Alonso appears to be carrying on from game to game: the board will review the situation, the fans are fractious, and the team must quickly arrest a worrying slide if the coach is to retain the backing of the club and its supporters.
