OGUN, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The managerial seat at Real Madrid is heating up as Xabi Alonso prepares for a do-or-die Champions League encounter against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester
Alonso’s attempts to impose a new, tactically focused style—a departure from the man-management approaches of Ancelotti and Zidane—have crumbled amid growing player discontent and power struggles. Spanish newspaper AS wrote that the team is “a flat, uninspired group… whose goals merely mask the crisis.”
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The one constant shielding Alonso from full scrutiny has been Kylian Mbappé. The forward has been their singular source of brilliance, leading the scoring charts with 25 goals in 21 games. However, critics fear Mbappé’s individual excellence is merely papering over the deep cracks in the team’s structure and morale.
Facing them is a cohesive Manchester City machine spearheaded by Erling Haaland (20 goals in 20 games). The contest is framed as a high-stakes duel between the world’s two standout strikers, but for Alonso, it is simply a battle for survival.