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Managing Madrid

https://www.managingmadrid.com/ | 443 entries published

Dominating European football since March 6th 1902

Latest Entries

Victor Valdepeñas could start for Real Madrid vs Alaves – report

Real Madrid Castilla starlet Victor Valdepeñas could start against Alaves on Sunday night, according to Jorge Picon. Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid find themselves without a first-team left-back for the game against Alaves, with Ferland Mendy out due to injury, while Alvaro Carreras and Fran Garcia are facing time off due to suspension. David Alaba, […]

about 3 hours ago | 0 reads

Managing Madrid Podcast: Xabi Alonso, Vinicius, Leaders, And Solutions

On this Members-only episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Lucas Navarrete discuss: CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS Thanks for being a Member. We hope you enjoy the show! Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Real Madrid⁠⁠⁠⁠ Discord Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/rTD2PmE26f⁠⁠⁠⁠ Managing Madrid is a hub for all Madridistas with updated news, op-eds, tactical analyses, artwork, and of course, […]

about 11 hours ago | 0 reads

Churros y Tácticas Podcast: The Energy At The Bernabeu Over The Past Two Games..

On this Patron-only episode of the Churros y Tácticas Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Diego Lorijn discuss: CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS Did you enjoy these Churros? Get a more raw version once per week exclusively on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/ChurrosyTacticas.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Co-host and chief editor of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani, along with Diego Lorijn — Barca TV, VIVA […]

about 17 hours ago | 0 reads

Huijsen rejoins Real Madrid squad in training

Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen rejoined the group in training this Friday and appears ready to be available when Los Blancos visit Alavés on Sunday. Huijsen has been injured since the match against Elche with a minor calf injury. Huijsen’s return would be extremely valuable now that Raúl Asencio and Antonio Rudiger are the team’s […]

1 day ago | 0 reads

Xabi Alonso set to be sacked if Real Madrid don’t beat Alavés -report

Real Madrid will sack coach Xabi Alonso if Los Blancos can’t get the three points on their visit to Vitoria to face Alavés this upcoming Sunday, according to a report from LaSexta’s José Luís Sánchez. Sánchez have sources inside Real Madrid’s board, so it’s fair and reasonable to say that his report is probably true. […]

1 day ago | 0 reads

OPEN THREAD | December 12, 2025

The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job Kung_Fu_Zizou, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, Ezek Ix and yours truly, Valyrian Steel. So what happened to the Ultimatum? […]

1 day ago | 0 reads

Karim Benzema Sounds the Alarm: “Real Madrid Lack Connection”

Karim Benzema spoke in a wide-ranging interview with L’Équipe. The former Real Madrid captain delivered a frank, incisive assessment of his former club’s superstar-laden attack. From tactical clarity to ego management, Benzema laid out what he believes is missing at the Santiago Bernabéu this season. “What Real Madrid lack is simply a connection” For Benzema, […]

1 day ago | 0 reads

Madrid Must Decide: Commit to Xabi or Move On

Spanish Twitter account Emil Sorel put it bluntly: “Si un entrenador sólo piensa en sobrevivir ya no tiene tiempo para construir.” If a manager is only focused on surviving, he can’t build anything. The same logic applies to the people above him. If the president and the board don’t think Xabi Alonso is the right […]

2 days ago | 0 reads

Madrid Are Generating Chances, Not Goals

There’s a common theme running through this team right now: a lack of execution and a lack of technique in decisive moments. The numbers paint the picture clearly: an xG of 12 across this poor run of results, and only 5 goals to show for it. That return is unacceptable at the highest level. Great […]

2 days ago | 0 reads

Pep Guardiola: “Rodrygo is from another level”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke glowingly of Rodrygo Goes and offered a frank breakdown of his team’s performance after City’s 2–1 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. The Catalan coach, who knows the difficulty of beating Madrid in Europe better than most, acknowledged the challenges his side faced — particularly against a […]

2 days ago | 0 reads

Managing Madrid Podcast | Madrid Mornings: Missed opportunity (vs City, 1-2)

In this episode of Madrid Mornings, Lucas shares his thoughts on Real Madrid’s 1-2 loss at home against Manchester City. CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS Join our Real Madrid Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/rTD2PmE26f Managing Madrid is a hub for all Madridistas with updated news, op-eds, tactical analyses, artwork, and of course, podcasts. It also serves as a […]

2 days ago | 0 reads

Thibaut Courtois: “The equalizer was a bit of my fault”

Thibaut Courtois faced the media after Real Madrid’s 1–2 home defeat to Manchester City. The Belgian goalkeeper mixed accountability with frustration, insisting his team played well enough to earn at least a draw — if not the victory. “The equalizer was a bit of my fault” Courtois did not shy away from responsibility for City’s […]

2 days ago | 0 reads

Player Ratings: Real Madrid 1 – 2 Manchester City

Player Ratings: Real Madrid 1 – 2 Manchester City Real Madrid fell 1–2 at the Santiago Bernabéu in a tense Champions League night where individual moments — both brilliant and disastrous — shaped the outcome. Here are the player ratings from the defeat: Thibaut Courtois: 6.5 A rare mistake from the Belgian gifted Manchester City […]

2 days ago | 1 read

Xabi Alonso To Managing Madrid: “Rodrygo was one of the positives”

Real Madrid may have fallen 1–2 to Manchester City at the Bernabéu on Wednesday night, but amid the disappointment, Xabi Alonso found a clear silver lining. Speaking to Managing Madrid’s Kiyan Sobhani after the match, Alonso manager offered a thoughtful and detailed reflection on Rodrygo’s display — one he described as one of the true […]

2 days ago | 1 read

OPEN THREAD | December 11, 2025

The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job Kung_Fu_Zizou, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, Ezek Ix and yours truly, Valyrian Steel. A better performance but not the […]

2 days ago | 0 reads

Numbers Narrative: Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City

In the opening 15 minutes, Real Madrid held a modest xT advantage at 0.9 to 0.54, yet Manchester City had already accumulated 35 touches in the final third compared to Real Madrid’s 14. The field tilt suggested City possession without corresponding threat generation. By halftime, that gap persisted. Real Madrid’s xT climbed to 1.84 against […]

2 days ago | 0 reads

Managing Madrid Podcast: Real Madrid 1 – 2 Manchester City, Post-game Reaction, 2025 – 2026

On this episode of the Managing Madrid Podcast, Kiyan Sobhani and Angelo Valdes gave their reaction to ⁠Real Madrid’s loss at home against Manchester City. Discussed: Rodrygo, Vinicius, Xabi Alonso, and a ton more. Did you enjoy this podcast? Get a ton of bonus content exclusively on Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid (or ⁠⁠YouTube membership⁠⁠) CLICK HERE FOR ACCESS Managing […]

2 days ago | 0 reads

Xabi Alonso: “It’s not about me, I’m focused on the next game”

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso addressed the media after a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League at the Bernabéu on Wednesday night as he stated that, “I’m focused on the next game. The important thing here is Real Madrid. It’s the team, the players and how I can help them. It’s not […]

3 days ago | 0 reads

Raul Asencio: “We’re behind our manager”

Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio publicly backed manager Xabi Alonso after Real Madrid’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night. In a game where Real Madrid looked more impressive than they have in recent weeks, regardless of what the scoreline suggests, Asencio was one of their bright performers. He was subbed […]

3 days ago | 0 reads

Three questions and three answers from Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City

Days after defeat to Celta Vigo, the Bernabéu played host to another night of disappointment for Real Madrid as they crashed to a 2-1 home defeat to Manchester City in a fixture tipped to decide the future of coach Xabi Alonso. The Champions League tie got off to a strong start as Rodrygo Goes ended […]

3 days ago | 0 reads

Immediate Reaction: Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City

Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City (Rodrygo Goes). A heartier performance falls short… Here is the reaction to the defeat. Hang around for: Player ratings, interviews and a podcast. Seven players out injured. Six defenders. No Eduardo Camavinga. The gigantic Manchester City shaped hurdle facing Xabi Alonso looked like mission impossible, with even Kylian Mbappé sidelined (although listed on […]

3 days ago | 0 reads

CONFIRMED lineups: Real Madrid vs Manchester City, 2025 Champions League

Real Madrid have published their starting lineup for the upcoming match against Manchester City in the Champions League. Real Madrid starting XI: Courtois. Valverde, Rüdiger, Asencio, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Ceballos, Bellingham, Rodrygo; Vinicius and Gonzalo. Manchester City starting XI (TBC): Donnarumma; Nunes, Días, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Nico, Bernardo, Reijnders; Foden, Haaland and Doku. This is a crucial […]

3 days ago | 0 reads

Real Madrid announce squad for Champions League match against Manchester City

Real Madrid have published their squad list for today’s match against Manchester City in the Champions League. REAL MADRID SQUAD LIST:Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin and Fran González.Defenders: Asencio, Á. Carreras, Fran García, Rüdiger, Joan Martínez and Valdepeñas.Midfielders: Bellingham, Valverde, Tchouameni, Arda Güler, Ceballos and Cestero. Attackers: Vini Jr., Endrick, Mbappé, Rodrygo, Gonzalo, Brahim and Mastantuono. Mbappé will […]

3 days ago | 0 reads

Referee named for Real Madrid’s match against Manchester City in the Champions League

UEFA have appointed French referee Clement Turpin as the man in charge of Wednesday’s match between Real Madrid and Manchester City in the Champions League. Per Realmadrid.comClément Turpin will referee the match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, corresponding to the sixth round of the Champions League, which will be played at the Bernabéu (Wednesday, 9:00 pm CET). It will […]

3 days ago | 0 reads