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Who:<\/strong> Real Madrid vs Manchester City Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso faces mounting pressure before Wednesday\u2019s Champions League group-stage meeting against Pep Guardiola\u2019s Manchester City, but the Spaniard was confident the team could turn their poor form around.<\/p>\n list of 4 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n Alonso, a former Real Madrid and Spain midfielder, took over from former manager Carlo Ancelotti at the end of last season, but has struggled to impress with a side that also underachieved last season.<\/p>\n In their way on Wednesday are a City side led by former Barcelona midfielder and manager Guardiola, adding to the weight of expectation on the match.<\/p>\n Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the league phase encounter.<\/p>\n Real are fifth in the Champions League standings on 12 points, three behind leaders Arsenal. City are ninth on 10 points, chasing a top-eight finish that would secure direct qualification to the last 16.<\/p>\n Real were beaten 2-0 on Sunday by Celta Vigo, with Real reduced to nine players after defenders Fran Garcia and Alvaro Carreras were sent off.<\/p>\n It left the club second in La Liga with 36 points, four behind leaders Barcelona, while Los Blancos have now only won two of their last seven matches across all competitions.<\/p>\n Adding to Alonso\u2019s challenges, Madrid could be without as many as eight key players, including top-scorer Kylian Mbappe, who missed training on Tuesday with a muscle injury.<\/p>\n If Mbappe is unable to play against City on Wednesday, it would be a big blow for coach Alonso, with Spanish media reporting that a defeat could lead to his dismissal.<\/p>\n City stormed to a 3-0 win against Sunderland in the English top flight on Saturday to maintain their chances of lifting a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.<\/p>\n Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and Phil Foden netted the goals that handed City a third straight Premier League win.<\/p>\n Despite their disappointing run in recent weeks, Alonso remains optimistic.<\/p>\n \u201cFootball can change quickly \u2026 for good or for bad,\u201d Alonso told a news conference on Tuesday. \u201cAfter the Celta match, we\u2019ve already drawn our conclusions.<\/p>\n \u201cNow it\u2019s just City in our minds. It\u2019s the Champions League, we\u2019re at the Bernabeu. It will be different because of the energy that\u2019s created. That\u2019s what\u2019s on our minds, what\u2019s ahead of us.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all in this together. United. Convinced that this is an opportunity. We need to have the energy to connect with the Bernabeu. If that happens, we have a chance to win.<\/p>\n \u201cIn football, you have to adapt and learn. Some days are good, others are not,\u201d Alonso added.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we are making progress with every match. Good thing we have a challenge tomorrow. The best way to move forward is to face it. It\u2019s a challenge that we must rise to.\u201d<\/p>\n Real Madrid vs Man City never disappoints \ud83c\udf7f#UCL<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/G2SN3Uaoqi<\/a><\/p>\n
What:<\/strong> UEFA Champions League
Where:<\/strong> Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain
When:<\/strong> Wednesday, December 10, at 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow:<\/strong> We\u2019ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.<\/p>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n
How do Real Madrid and Man City stand in the Champions League?<\/h2>\n
What happened in Real Madrid\u2019s last match?<\/h2>\n
What happened in Man City\u2019s last match?<\/h2>\n
What has Madrid manager Alonso said about his Real challenge?<\/h2>\n
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