SOCCER: Alonso praises Madrid players' attitude after defeat to Man City

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said his players were giving their all despite the team’s ongoing struggles after a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Alonso, who took over as Real Madrid manager in June, has faced mounting pressure following just two wins in eight games across all competitions.

Injuries forced Alonso to field a makeshift back line, missing key defenders including Eder Militao, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, and Dean Huijsen, as well as striker Kylian Mbappe.

"We're dealing with injuries, but our players are giving it their all, so we have nothing to complain about today. I really appreciate the attitude of the players on a daily basis, and we have to keep going," Alonso said.

Madrid started brightly against City, taking the lead through Rodrygo, who scored his first goal since March. However, within 10 minutes, the team conceded following a corner when goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois fumbled, allowing Nico O'Reilly to score. Minutes later, Antonio Ruediger gave away a penalty after bringing down Erling Haaland.

As the match progressed and Madrid failed to convert several chances, the crowd grew restless, whistling the team off at fulltime. Alonso described the reaction as understandable and said he was prepared to be self-critical of what he called a mixed performance.

"When you don't win at home, that reaction can happen, but there have been other times when they have supported us," he added.

Real Madrid will face Alaves in LaLiga on Sunday. -Charlie Devereux/Reuters