Real Madrid lose at home to Manchester City in Champions League as pressure continues to grow on Xabi Alonso

City clawed back a one-goal deficit pulling ahead thanks to a penalty converted by Erling Haaland before halftime

Real Madrid relinquished a 1-0 lead and lost 2-1 to Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, ramping up pressure on manager Xabi Alonso as chatter continues around his job security just six short months after taking the gig.

Los Blancos were off to a strong start and looked like the intense, high press team Alonso had promised when he took the job, rewarded fairly quickly for their effort with Rodrygo's goal in the 28th minute. The Brazil international snapped a 32 game goalless run in the process, completing a quick counterattack with a precise finish from an angle on a day where Kylian Mbappe was not fit enough to play.

The tide turned quickly, though. City's chances were few and far between in the first half but they capitalized on a corner just seven minutes later thanks to Nico O'Reilly, and Erling Haaland converted a penalty shortly before the break to give the visitors the lead.

Real Madrid were fervent in their attempts to find an equalizer, City's calm low block eventually scrambling for a frantic final 20 minutes. The hosts took 10 shots in the second half, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham taking three each, but not a single one landed on target, a point eventually eluding them.

Wednesday's results

• Villarreal 2, Copenhagen 3
• Qarabag 2, Ajax 4
• Bayer Leverkusen 2, Newcastle United 2
• Real Madrid 1, Manchester City 2
• Benfica 2, Napoli 0
• Club Brugge 0, Arsenal 3
• Athletic Club 0, Paris Saint-Germain 0
• Juventus 2, Pafos 0
• Borussia Dortmund 2, Bodo/Glimt 2

[Dec 10, 2025 at 1:15 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

A busy day across Europe is officially complete. Here's a quick glance at the scores.

Men's Champions League

• Villarreal 2, Copenhagen 3
• Qarabag 2, Ajax 4
• Bayer Leverkusen 2, Newcastle United 2
• Real Madrid 1, Manchester City 2
• Benfica 2, Napoli 0
• Club Brugge 0, Arsenal 3
• Athletic Club 0, Paris Saint-Germain 0
• Juventus 2, Pafos 0
• Borussia Dortmund 2, Bodo/Glimt 2

Women's Champions League

• Valarenga 0, Paris FC 1
• Barcelona 3, Benfica 1
• Manchester United 0, OL Lyonnes 3
• Atletico Madrid 2, Bayern Munich 2
• Chelsea 6, Roma 0

[Dec 10, 2025 at 5:01 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

It was not for a lack of effort but Real Madrid now have back-to-back losses at home, only ramping up the pressure on manager Xabi Alonso. The team seemed to match Alonso's vision for the team, delivering on the high press promise and coming up 16 shots during a strong outing for Vinnicius Junior and Rodrygo. Whether or not that performance will be enough to save Alonso's job, or even alleviate the pressure he faces, that's another question.

Manchester City, meanwhile, slide into the top four at the end of Matchday 6 and Real Madrid sit in seventh, their Champions League journey still very much fixable.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 4:47 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

85' Alvaro Carreras pulls off an impressive pass and it's Endrick's chance to impress the Real Madrid faithful, but his chance hits the crossbar. Real Madrid now have nine chances and 1.03 expected goals in the second half, not a single one on target, though.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 4:43 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

81' Real Madrid are really, really looking for the equalizer, this time with bodies in the box. Again, the play ends with Vinicius Junior, who takes an acrobatic hit -- and is perhaps thrown off by Gianluigi Donnarumma's positioning -- and can't put it on frame.

The hosts have also brought on Endrick for Raul Asensio, with Aurelien Tchouameni dropping back to fill in numbers on defense. At this point, you wonder if Kylian Mbappe is fit enough to play at all today since Xabi Alonso continues to opt for different players.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 4:40 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

78' Real Madrid manage to carve through an otherwise organized Manchester City defense, with Rodrygo setting the pace in the midst of an impressive outing. The ball eventually lands to Vinicius Junior in front of goal but he cannot put the target on frame. It wouldn't be the first time something like this happened in the second half, either -- Real Madrid have six shots after the break, all off target.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 4:33 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

70' Real Madrid have had the ball in Manchester City's half a handful of times but City have looked very comfortable when they switch into a low block, almost forcing the hosts possess aimlessly with any attempts to launch an attacking play fizzling out quickly. In accordance, Pep Guardiola has gone to his bench to bring on Tijjani Reijnders, Savinho and Omar Marmoush for Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland to close the game out.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 4:24 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

62' Manchester City make their way to the other end of the pitch and in the end, Jeremy Doku cuts inside and has the opening to take a shot that forces Thibaut Courtois to make another important save. It was a crucial intervention from the Real Madrid goalkeeper since Erling Haaland was lurking.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 4:22 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

60' Real Madrid go for goal yet again, a quick build-up play coming together for Rodrygo. The placement of the ball at his feet is not quite right, which provides Nico O'Reilly the opening to make a very important recovery run to keep the hosts at bay for now.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 4:20 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

58' Xabi Alonso makes his first substitution, bringing on Arda Guler for Gonzalo Garcia. Reminder: Kylian Mbappe is on the bench but Alonso has not opted for him just yet.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 4:15 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

52' There may still be around 40 minutes on the clock but both Real Madrid and Manchester City seem to want to score right now, the teams bypassing midfield to come up with quick chances. First comes one from Jude Bellingham only for Rayan Cherki to follow up on the other end, and then Rodrygo tallying a chance of his own moments later.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 4:12 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

49' It's early but Manchester City are off to a nice start in the second half, clearly in the hunt for a third goal to offer some security for their one goal lead. Jeremy Doku spots Erling Haaland nearby int he box and sends the ball his way, but Antonio Rudiger slings himself at the ball to clear it out of danger.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 3:48 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

45'+1 Manchester City look lively as they go on the break and seem certain to bag a third but Thibaut Courtois comes up with a point-blank save, though the ball lands at the feet of Erling Haaland. Again, it feels as if City are on track to score another goal but Courtois comes up with the goods yet again to keep this a one-goal game heading into the break.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 3:44 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

43' This match has turned into a bit of a wrestling match in the boxes and Antonio Rudiger is called for having his arms around Erling Haaland's waist. Manchester City have not been in control of this game but they have a golden opportunity to take the lead, with Haaland to take the spotkick. He converts with little issue and with his fifth touch of the game, he gives City the lead with just two minutes plus stoppage time left in the first half.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 3:37 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

36' Manchester City have not have a lot of meaningful possession and chances have been few and far between but the visitors take advantage on a corner, the goal eventually popped into the back of the net by Nico O'Reilly. It's his first career Champions League goal for O'Reilly, who has been with City since the age of eight. Game on.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 3:32 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

32' Rodrygo goes to the ground and receives medical attention for what could be a non-contact injury. He's now standing on the sidelines, gesturing that he's all right and waiting to re-enter the pitch.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 3:30 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

28' The drought is broken! More than 30 games after scoring his last game for Real Madrid, Rodrygo has ended the deadlock and given his side a deserved lead. The hosts build up excellently on the counter and in the end, Rodrygo takes a skilled finish from an angle to ensure his side breathe a collective sigh of releif.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 3:28 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

25' This match has sort of settled into a holding pattern, one in which there's some back-and-forth in midfield that's eventually broken up by Real Madrid's press. This time, they regain possession and then it's Rodrygo off to the races on the right flank. He hits his cross to hard but Gonzalo Garcia gets ahold of the ball and tries to start the play up again, his teammates well-positioned to do their best even if they did not score on that opportunity. It feels like Madrid might actually be playing the way Xabi Alonso envisioned them when he took the job six months ago, and they've started really brightly as a result.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 3:20 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

19' Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior combine again and in the end, Vinicius puts a cross into the box that he hopes will meet a teammate but a Manchester City player manages a block. Real Madrid players want a handball call that does not come and so they earn a corner, but not much comes of it. That does not deter them, though - Matheus Nunes is forced into conceding a freekick near the box, which Rodrygo takes. There's a flick on from Aurelien Tchouameni but it's not enough to challenge goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 3:09 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

7; Real Madrid are making life difficult for Manchester City again, this time via a counterattack that involves the likes of Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior. In the end, Gianluigi Donnarumma closes down the space and Vinicius cannot put the attempt on target but this is a bright start for the hosts -- and a strong response to the pressure they've been facing so far.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 3:06 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

4' The press Xabi Alonso has hoped to instill in Real Madrid comes out quick against Manchester City, first with Vinicius Junior taking the ball of Josko Gvardiol and then with Gonzalo Garcia re-gaining possession. In the end, Matheus Nunes sloppily fouls Vinicius and though the referee points to the spot at first, a VAR check reveals the foul actually took place outside the box. Federico Valverde goes sraight for goal and a deflection is perhaps the only thing keeping Real Madrid away from an early lead.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 3:01 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

The action is officially underway in Madrid.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 2:38 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Today's clash in Madrid has enough intrigue to make it the headlining act of the Champions League week but Real Madrid and Manchester City are frequent foes in this competition, oftentimes playing in competitive, entertaining games. Hopes are high this time around but as Guillem Balague notes, this is a must-win for two teams hoping to climb into the top eight by league phase;s end.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 2:23 pm ET · James Benge]

Sixteen games, 15 conceded, seven clean sheets, a record of 12 wins, two draws and two defeats: the headline numbers would suggest that there is not really a great deal to say about Gianluigi Donnarumma. Dig a little deeper too and there is no sense of a great crisis. In the Premier League he saves a shade below 65% of the shots he faces and based on the xG value of the shots he has faced, he has conceded 0.1 more goals than he ought to have.

In short, Donnarumma is batting at about average as a shot stopper. And of course the sample size for his performances is still very small. Goalkeeper xG, goals prevented and the like are notoriously variable even over the course of a season, let alone a few months. Sometimes you have a run of games where Samuel Chukwueze is hitting them perfectly, where the ball keeps breaking to an opponent at close range and where you feel a little wobbly under crosses. There's no reason to worry about Donnarumma just yet, that's for sure.

Equally there is nothing yet that suggests the volte face City took in terms of their goalkeeping profiles is paying off just yet. Dumping Ederson and recruiting both James Trafford and latterly Donnarumma spoke to a team that was prepared to sacrifice possession control for shot-stopping. There is no doubt the control is largely gone, City average barely 60% possession this season where two years ago that number was five points higher, and at the very base of the team they are lacking in distribution. It isn't just that Ederson was an 85% passer and Donnarumma is 75%, it was apparent in the wobbles against Leeds and Fulham that City were missing a goalkeeper who they could dump possession with, safe in the knowledge that no one was going to press him.

That trade off would make total sense if the return was something like the Donnarumma of last season, the best pure shot stopper in the game. Maybe they will get that when they need it, like on the days when they rock up to Kylian Mbappe's house. If they don't, however, then the current version of their first-choice keeper might not be enough to mitigate for Man City's troubles elsewhere.

[Dec 10, 2025 at 2:08 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

The talk in Madrid will almost exclusively be about whether or not Xabi Alonso is out of a job this time tomorrow but amidst that tension, the Real Madrid manager did his best to stay optimistic in his pre-match press conference. Here are some of his comments from Tuesday:

• Alonso: "Being Madrid manager is not about changing [the culture]; it is about adapting. We know the culture of Real Madrid pretty well; that is why it is the biggest club in the world. You have to adapt, learn a lot, interact with the players. Some days are good, some not so good. We have to face that with energy and positivity, that is the only way to turn things around ... I'm looking forward to what's coming and that starts tomorrow, [an opportunity] to turn 'round the anger In our heads, there's only City. In football, for better or worse, things change quickly."

[Dec 10, 2025 at 1:53 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Pep Guardiola, no surprise, goes with a full strength team to face Real Madrid, with the likes of Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Phil Foden in the lineup. Here's a look at the visitors' team.

Manchester City starting XI: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O'Reilly, Nico Gonzalez, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Rayann Cherki, Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland

Substitutes: James Trafford, Marcus Bettinelli, Tijjani Reijnders, Nathan Ake, Omar Marmoush, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Abdukodir Khusanov, Oscar Bobb, Rico Lewis

[Dec 10, 2025 at 1:46 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso will face a make-or-break game without Kylian Mbappe, with the France international named to the bench for today's game against Manchester City. Mbappe has been dealing with a muscular problem and did not train on Tuesday, leaving Los Blancos without their top goalscorer this season. Mbappe has 26 goals across all competitions but Madrid do not have a terrific track record without him - they have just two wins when he doesn't score.

Here's a look at Real Madrid's lineup.

Real Madrid starting XI: Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde, Raul Asensio, Antonio Rudiger, Alvaro Carreras, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior

Substitutes: Andriy Lunin, Fran Gonzalez, Endrick, Kylian Mbappe, Arda Guler, Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz, Jorge Cestero, Franco Mastantuono, Joan Martinez, Victor Valdepenas

[Dec 10, 2025 at 12:47 pm ET · Pardeep Cattry]

A very consequential fixture awaits in Spain's capital, where hosts Real Madrid take on Manchester City in a match that will not only be a test of each team's title-winning mettle but one where the sole focus just might be Los Blancos manager Xabi Alonso and his job security. Madrid are still in fairly good standing in the Champions League but they have one win in their last five LaLiga games, their five point lead atop the table in the dust as they now trail Barcelona by four points. The latest in a string of unideal moments came in Sunday's 2-0 loss to Celta Viga, after which boos rang out at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium and club higher-ups had an hours-long meeting post-match.

Alonso is under pressure on Wednesday to prove his worth as the manager of a tricky and imbalanced Madrid team, tasked with defeating his former Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola in the process. This iteration of City have not been nearly as dominant as previous ones as Guardiola mounts yet another rebuild, so Alonso will be responsible for exploiting their weaknesses while withstanding the might of Erling Haaland, who can singlehandedly ruin an opponent's day.

Stick around for pre-match coverage and updates once the game begins.