Even a defeat to Atlético Madrid was almost forgotten after beating Barcelona in the classic. Something has gone wrong since then. However, three consecutive draws against Rayo Vallecano, Elche, and Girona in La Liga set off alarms in Madrid, which considers itself the best in the world. But the worst was yet to come: the humiliating 2-0 defeat to Celta de Vigo, followed by the 2-1 loss to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday. That is Real Madrid's record in the last five weeks and the reason why Xabi Alonso is on the ropes in his first season in charge of his old club. Alonso seemed to have started well. Kylian Mbappé was scoring goals for fun, and the team won its first seven games of the season. The defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League last month was the turning point of the bad run. Both defeats were at the Santiago Bernabéu, and the boos echoed. Two wins in eight games. Losing at Anfield is acceptable for any club.
