MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The pressure was mounting on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso as the Spanish giant faced Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Madrid has won just two of its last seven in all competitions including a 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo over the weekend.

Ahead of the home match against City, Alonso had to contend with reports in the Spanish media that he had lost control of the locker room.

“This is a team, and we all stand together,” he said. "In soccer, you can change perspective quickly, and we’re at that point.”

Concerns over Kylian Mbappé's availability were confirmed when the France striker was named on the bench following a reported knee issue. Mbappé trained separately to the rest of the team on Tuesday and Gonzalo Garcia was picked to lead Madrid'

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