Alonso Treading a Thin Path at Madrid Amidst Player Endorsement.

No attacker in the club's record books had experienced scoreless for as long as Rodrygo, but finally he was freed and he had a declaration to send, acted out for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in an extended drought and was starting only his fifth game this term, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to hand his team the lead against the English champions. Then he spun and ran towards the bench to greet Xabi Alonso, the boss under pressure for whom this could prove an more significant relief.

“It’s a difficult moment for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Results are not going our way and I wanted to show everyone that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the advantage had been lost, a defeat ensuing. City had turned it around, going 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso noted. That can happen when you’re in a “delicate” state, he added, but at least Madrid had reacted. On this occasion, they could not pull off a comeback. Endrick, brought on having played a handful of minutes all season, hit the crossbar in the dying moments.

A Suspended Judgment

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo admitted. The issue was whether it would be enough for Alonso to hold onto his role. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois remarked, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “Our performance proved that we’re supporting the manager: we have performed creditably, given 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so judgment was withheld, consequences suspended, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A Different Type of Defeat

Madrid had been overcome at home for the second match in four days, perpetuating their poor form to a mere pair of successes in eight, but this was a somewhat distinct. This was a European powerhouse, rather than a domestic opponent. Streamlined, they had competed with intensity, the simplest and most harsh criticism not levelled at them on this night. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a penalty, coming close to securing something at the end. There were “numerous of very good things” about this showing, the head coach said, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, tonight.

The Fans' Ambivalent Reception

That was not always the case. There were spells in the closing 45 minutes, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At the conclusion, a portion of supporters had continued, although there was likewise some applause. But primarily, there was a muted stream to the subway. “We understand that, we understand it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso stated: “This is nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were moments when they clapped too.”

Squad Unity Remains Evident

“I sense the confidence of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he backed them, they supported him too, at least for the cameras. There has been a unification, conversations: the coach had considered them, maybe more than they had embraced him, meeting somewhere not precisely in the compromise.

The longevity of a fix that is remains an unresolved issue. One small moment in the after-game press conference seemed significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to follow his own path, Alonso had let that idea to remain unanswered, replying: “I have a good relationship with Pep, we know each other well and he knows what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Fight

Above all though, he could be satisfied that there was a spirit, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they publicly backed him. This support may have been for show, done out of duty or mutual survival, but in this context, it was meaningful. The effort with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a danger of the most basic of requirements somehow being framed as a type of success.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a plan, that their shortcomings were not his doing. “I believe my colleague Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The only way is [for] the players to improve the approach. The attitude is the linchpin and today we have observed a difference.”

Jude Bellingham, asked if they were behind the coach, also responded with a figure: “100%.”

“We are continuing attempting to work it out in the dressing room,” he elaborated. “We know that the [outside] speculation will not be helpful so it is about trying to sort it out in there.”

“Personally, I feel the gaffer has been great. I individually have a excellent connection with him,” Bellingham concluded. “After the run of games where we were held a few, we had some very productive conversations among ourselves.”

“Every situation concludes in the end,” Alonso philosophized, possibly referring as much about a difficult spell as everything.