'Give Alonso time' - but Man City visit could be pivotal

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Wednesday's Champions League match between Real Madrid and Manchester City was supposed to be billed as a meeting of two of the most prolific strikers on the planet - instead it has seemingly turned into a make-or-break tie for under-fire home boss Xabi Alonso.The Spaniard faced the media on Tuesday morning, following the weekend's limp defeat by Celta Vigo, bearing the haunted look of a man weighed down by the intense scrutiny accompanying arguably the biggest job in world football.In an often awkward pre-match news conference, Alonso managed to keep his composure when fielding questions about his possible replacements, on whether he felt lonely in the job and if he was disappointed in the players.A pointed moment came when he was asked whether he felt supported by the team and he simply replied: "Yes."BBC Sport's Guillem Balague says Alonso's chances of survival are "slim" and there are suggestions the manager has lost the dressing room. Xabi is a fantastic coach and we saw what he achieved at Bayer Leverkusen."You have to stick with the manager.

You have to give a manager time to implement what he wants to do. What is he supposed to do in half a season?"Alonso will not be helped by mounting injury problems.In the open training session after his media conference, there was no sign of star striker Kylian Mbappe, who is a major doubt for the game with a reported leg injury, while defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and Dean Huijsen have all been ruled out.Real's performance in Sunday's home defeat was met by loud jeers at half-time and left them trailing bitter rivals Barcelona by four points in La Liga, following a poor run of one victory in their past five league games.That sequence of results could be classed as worrying at any top-flight club, but is deemed unacceptable at one the magnitude of Real.City, though, present a stern test to a team in need of a change of form.The engrossing rivalry between the sides is defining this particular era of the Champions League as they meet for the fifth consecutive campaign.Real knocked City out at the play-off stage in February and staged an incredible comeback with two injury-time goals to leave their opponents stunned in May 2022.Real have not had it all their own way though, thrashed 4-0 in the semi-final second leg a year later - a City performance which will go down as one of the greatest in manager Pep Guardiola's tenure.The two teams head into this contest with rather contrasting fortunes, City having won their past three Premier League fixtures."When you are the coach of Real Madrid you have to be ready to face these situations in a calm and relaxed way," said a defiant Alonso.

I love him."What would happen if you don't win big games? You have more difficulties.