Pressure is on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso ahead of Champions League match against Man City
Manchester (AP): The pressure is mounting on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match with Manchester City.
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 City match, 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.”
Doubts over Kylian Mbappé's availability added to Alonso's concerns. The France striker trained separately to the rest of the team on Tuesday, having reportedly had issues with is left leg.
City manager Pep Guardiola sympathized with Alonso, who he coached as a player at Bayern Munich.
“Barcelona and Real Madrid are the toughest clubs to be manager of because of the environment,” he said. “It's a difficult place but he knows it — it's the reality of being here."
Other games on Wednesday include defending champion Paris Saint-Germain at Athletic Bilbao, Arsenal at Club Brugge and Italian champion Napoli at Benfica.
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School headmaster dies after bike falls into roadside ditch in Karnataka's Chitradurga
Chitradurga (Karnataka) (PTI): A school headmaster died and another person was seriously injured after their bike allegedly fell into a roadside ditch in this district on Wednesday, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Premkumar (45) of Rampura village in Molakalmuru taluk.
He was serving as the headmaster at Basaveshwara Rural High School in BG Kere village, they said.
The accident occurred near Vittalapura close to Devasamudra in Molakalmuru taluk on Wednesday evening, police said.
According to police, the accident occurred when the bike allegedly fell into a roadside ditch at a curve on the road connecting Rayadurg in Andhra Pradesh to Rampura.
The injured person has been identified as Ramanjaneya of Pakkurthi village. As he sustained severe injuries, he has been admitted to VIMS Hospital in Ballari for treatment, a senior police officer said.
A case has been registered at Rampura Police Station, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
