12 hours ago
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Who: Alaves vs Real Madrid
What: Spain’s La Liga
Where: Mendizorroza Stadium successful Vitoria, Spain
When: Sunday, December 14, astatine 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up connected Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT successful beforehand of our substance commentary stream.
Real Madrid volition anticipation to easiness the unit connected Xabi Alonso erstwhile they sojourn Alaves connected Sunday, but the grounds La Liga winners volition cognize that 1 much decision could spell the extremity of the short-lived tenure of their beleaguered manager.
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In a invited amusement of solidarity, Los Blancos midfielder Jude Bellingham said connected Wednesday, aft their defeat by Manchester City successful the UEFA Champions League, that the players were down Alonso and nary 1 was “downing tools”.
More invited quality for the Madrid-based nine is that Kylian Mbappe is backmost successful contention for Sunday’s crippled aft missing retired against City owed to injury.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look astatine what is surely a must-not-lose for Alonso, but – with Barcelona 7 points wide – whitethorn good beryllium a must-win.
How overmuch unit is mounting connected Real Madrid manager Alonso?
Alonso, whom Spanish media reported was acceptable for the sack if Madrid mislaid against City, remains astatine the helm contempt a 2-1 decision astatine a frustrated, whistling Bernabeu.
The anticipation is that the match, contempt the outcome, tin beryllium a turning constituent for a squad with conscionable 2 wins successful their past 8 games crossed each competitions.
Alonso’s players rallied astir him, with not lone Bellingham offering nationalist messages of enactment aft the crippled and adjacent during it, arsenic goalscorer Rodrygo Goes ran implicit to hug his manager.
“The lone happening we tin bash is alteration our cognition … and [against City] we saw a change,” said defender Raul Asencio.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was different Madrid subordinate who backed the coach, and believes the concern volition beryllium eased erstwhile results turn.
“All of america present enactment the manager with each our heart, and by winning connected Sunday, we volition alteration this dynamic,” said Courtois.
What is Alonso’s instrumentality connected Real Madrid’s struggles?
After Madrid’s improved show against City, it did not marque consciousness for President Florentino Perez to fto the axe fall.
It would beryllium casual to marque that telephone the adjacent clip the squad stumbles – and if it truly is simply a turning point, and that doesn’t happen, that would enactment for him too. Particularly fixed the deficiency of an evident replacement.
Alonso, meanwhile, said helium hoped Madrid’s existent woes could marque the squad stronger.
“We are having difficulties, but we tin grow,” helium said. “If we tin get past these pugnacious times, alteration the dynamic, possibly successful a fewer weeks we’ll look backmost and deliberation ‘we went done a lot, but it made america stronger.'”
On feeling the disapproval and doubts, Alonso said helium is not surprised.
“You person to unrecorded with it, and erstwhile you’re the manager of Real Madrid, you person to beryllium prepared to look it bravely, responsibly and self-critically, knowing that things tin change,” the erstwhile Madrid midfielder said. “Despite the result, I’ve seen affirmative things individually and collectively. Other things haven’t gone truthful well, but we’re inactive successful it.”
What happened successful Real Madrid’s past La Liga game?
Los Blancos went into meltdown successful their past outing successful the Spanish apical formation arsenic 2 players saw reddish successful the 2-0 location defeat by Celta Vigo.
Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia were sent off, and are suspended arsenic a effect for the travel to Alaves.
📋✅ Our squad for the match!
🆚 @Alaves pic.twitter.com/eOmzjSRcG7
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) December 13, 2025
Are determination immoderate glimmers of anticipation for Real Madrid?
One subordinate they look to person recovered, not lone from wounded but besides his form, is winger Rodrygo, arsenic helium ended his dismal tally against City.
After 32 games without uncovering the net, the Brazilian finished superbly to nonstop his squad ahead.
Beyond that, helium was backmost to his electrical best, transformed from the diminished fig seen successful caller months.
“It’s 1 of today’s bully pieces of quality to spot him with that idiosyncratic quality, that flair, and helium besides scored, which was important for him,” said Alonso.
What is the latest connected Vinicius Junior’s Real fallout?
On the different flank, Rodrygo’s compatriot Vinicius Junior offered a little convincing display.
The winger’s choler astatine Alonso erstwhile withdrawn successful the Clasico successful October was a flashpoint which played its portion successful Madrid’s play flying disconnected the rails.
Since that moment, Spanish media person reported a increasing rift betwixt the players and the coach, suggesting assorted complaints astir his enactment decisions and the tactical enactment they person to do.
It appears to beryllium healing, with the enactment Alonso was offered, though whether Madrid’s stars clasp the enactment ethic they displayed successful a glamourous European necktie connected a wintry Sunday nighttime astatine Alaves’s Mendizorroza stadium volition beryllium a bully barometer.
How has the play gone truthful incorrect for Real Madrid?
Alonso looked to beryllium disconnected to a bully commencement to his vocation astatine Bernabeu, with Kylian Mbappe scoring astatine volition and his squad winning its archetypal 7 games of the season. Even a nonaccomplishment to Atletico Madrid was partially forgotten aft a triumph implicit Barcelona.
Then thing went wrong. A nonaccomplishment astatine Liverpool successful the Champions League past period sent the squad into a nosedive. Losing astatine Anfield is acceptable for immoderate club; 3 consecutive draws to Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Girona successful La Liga acceptable disconnected the alarm bells astatine a Madrid that considers itself the champion successful the world.
But worse was to come: the humiliating 2-0 decision by Celta Vigo followed by the 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Pep Guardiola’s City. Both of those losses came successful beforehand of immoderate disgruntled fans, who jeered the squad astatine Bernabeu.
Now each bets are disconnected connected Alonso’s aboriginal conscionable months aft helium near Bayer Leverkusen pursuing his exceptional occupation astatine the German nine that culminated successful the Bundesliga rubric successful 2024.
How person Alaves faired this season?
Alaves is beardown astatine location with lone 2 losses successful 8 games successful Vitoria this season, including a 1-0 triumph implicit Real Sociedad past round.
They opened their run with conscionable 3 wins successful 10. Their caller tally of 4 wins successful 7 has seen them ascent to midtable, with fractional an oculus connected European qualification, though the different 4 matches successful that tally were each defeats.
What happened the past clip Real Madrid played Alaves?
Real were 1-0 winners erstwhile the sides met successful La Liga astatine Alves connected April 13. Eduardo Camavinga scored the lone extremity aft 34 minutes of a crippled that saw Kylian Mbappe shown a reddish aft 38 minutes.
The location broadside were besides reduced to 10 men erstwhile Manu Sanchez was sent disconnected successful the 72nd minute.
Head-to-head
This is the 29th gathering betwixt the sides, with Real Madrid winning 23 of the encounters, portion Alaves person claimed triumph connected lone 3 occasions.
Alaves squad news
Nikola Maras and Facundo Garces volition erstwhile again beryllium absent owed to wounded and suspension, respectively
Jon Guridi has had a genu occupation but volition beryllium assessed earlier the match.
Real Madrid squad news
Alonso said Kylian Mbappe is acceptable to play connected Sunday aft the guardant missed the Champions League decision by Manchester City.
“We’ve got Kylian back, he’s acceptable to play, and we’ll spot and determine [if helium starts], that’s bully quality obviously,” Alonso said connected Saturday.
Real Madrid are without respective injured players for the crippled successful Vitoria, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga.
Garcia, Carreras and Endrick are besides suspended. Defender Dean Huijsen is apt to return.
“Evidently, contempt the players we’ve got out, we person beardown capable players and a beardown capable team,” Alonso added.
Alaves predicted starting lineup:
Sivera; Otto, Tenaglia, Pacheco, Parada; Guevara; Calebe, Ibanez, Suarez, Rebbach; Boye
Real Madrid predicted starting lineup:
Courtois; Valverde, Rudiger, Huijsen, Asencio; Guler, Tchouameni, Ceballos; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius
English (US) ·