Real Madrid visit Alaves with manager Xabi Alonso under immense pressure
Barcelona, four points clear, host Osasuna; Villarreal, now one point behind Madrid, travel to Levante
Madrid anxiously await fitness news on Mbappé, La Liga’s top scorer
Real Madrid enter the La Liga 2025-26 Matchday 16 in crisis mode, with just two wins in their last eight matches, a steep decline that has placed Xabi Alonso under intense scrutiny during his turbulent first season in charge.
What began as a promising campaign, with Kylian Mbappe scoring freely and Madrid winning their opening seven league fixtures, has unravelled dramatically over the past five weeks.
A 3-1 defeat at Liverpool in last month’s UEFA Champions League set off a downward spiral. While losing at Anfield is hardly unusual, the follow-up results – three consecutive La Liga draws against Rayo Vallecano, Elche, and Girona – triggered alarm at a club that sees itself as Europe’s benchmark.
Matters deteriorated further with a 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo and Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu, where frustrated supporters jeered their own players.
The pressure on Alonso, who arrived fresh off a title-winning season with Bayer Leverkusen, is now acute. His future is being openly discussed only months after his celebrated appointment.
Madrid must now travel to northern Spain for a potentially treacherous fixture against Deportivo Alavés on Sunday.
La Liga 2025-26 Matchday 16: Key Fixtures
Under normal circumstances, a trip to Alaves would not trouble Madrid. This weekend, however, the context is starkly different. Alaves have been formidable in Vitoria, losing only twice in eight home matches this season.
Their resilience was underlined by last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad, a result that lifted confidence ahead of facing a vulnerable Madrid.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have opened a four-point lead at the top of La Liga and host Osasuna on Saturday, while Villarreal – now only one point behind Madrid – visit Levante on Sunday. Atletico Madrid, currently fourth, welcome Valencia in another key encounter.
Madrid’s margin for error has evaporated. Another slip could see them fall out of the top three and intensify the scrutiny surrounding Alonso.
La Liga 2025-26 Matchday 16: Players To Watch, Injuries
Madrid supporters will wait anxiously for updates on Kylian Mbappe, La Liga’s leading scorer with 16 goals. The French forward missed the Manchester City match with a minor knee problem, and Alonso remains cautious.
“We’ll go day-by-day,” the manager said. “Today he wasn’t fit to play; otherwise, he would have played.”
Barcelona’s Ferran Torres, second in the scoring charts with 11 goals, continues his outstanding form and may return to the starting XI against Osasuna after featuring from the bench in midweek.
Real Madrid’s defensive resources, however, have been depleted. Eder Militao is out after tearing a muscle in the defeat to Celta, and Alonso must also contend with a wave of suspensions: Fran Garcia, Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Carreras, and Endrick all picked up bans during the same match.
(With AP Inputs)
