Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso urges his team to bounce back from a painful home loss to Celta Vigo when they face Manchester City in the Champions League
MADRID: Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso has demanded a swift reaction from his team after a painful home defeat ahead of their crucial Champions League clash with Manchester City.
Los Blancos have won only two of their last seven matches across all competitions following a 2-0 La Liga loss to Celta Vigo at the Bernabeu.
The defeat leaves Madrid four points behind league leaders Barcelona with the team finishing the game with nine men after red cards for Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras.
“We are all angry, evidently this was not the game we wanted, it was not the result we wanted,” Alonso told reporters.
The coach emphasised the need to move on quickly ahead of Wednesday’s European fixture against Pep Guardiola’s side.
“We have to try and turn the page as quickly as possible. It’s only three points.”
Alonso said the Champions League match provides the perfect opportunity for a response.
“We have the Champions League game against City to react in, and get this bad taste out of our mouths.”
Recent poor form has led to speculation in Spanish media regarding Alonso’s future at the club.
When asked if he was playing for his job against City, the coach insisted the focus was solely on the competition.
“We’re 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.”
He affirmed the team’s desire to demonstrate a significant improvement in performance.
“But we want to play well, we want to play a good game, we want to show we can play a lot better than we did today. We know that.” – AFP
