Alonso Walking a Precarious Line at the Bernabéu Amidst Player Backing.

No attacker in the club's record books had experienced without a goal for as long as Rodrygo, but finally he was unleashed and he had a message to broadcast, performed for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had not scored in an extended drought and was beginning only his fifth match this season, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to hand his team the opening goal against the English champions. Then he turned and sprinted towards the bench to hug Xabi Alonso, the coach on the edge for whom this could represent an profound release.

“It’s a challenging time for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Performances are not going our way and I aimed to demonstrate the public that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the advantage had been surrendered, a defeat following. City had come back, taking 2-1 ahead with “very little”, Alonso observed. That can transpire when you’re in a “delicate” situation, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had reacted. On this occasion, they could not complete a comeback. Endrick, on as a substitute having played a handful of minutes all season, hit the woodwork in the closing stages.

A Suspended Sentence

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo conceded. The question was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to retain his position. “We didn't view it as [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stated, but that was how it had been framed publicly, and how it was felt privately. “Our performance proved that we’re behind the coach: we have performed creditably, offered 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so the axe was reserved, consequences delayed, with games against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A More Credible Form of Defeat

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second occasion in four days, continuing their poor form to a mere pair of successes in eight, but this was a little different. This was Manchester City, rather than a domestic opponent. Stripped down, they had competed with intensity, the easiest and most harsh accusation not levelled at them on this night. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a spot-kick, almost salvaging something at the end. There were “many of very good things” about this showing, the boss stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, not this time.

The Stadium's Mixed Response

That was not completely the complete picture. There were spells in the second half, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At the final whistle, some of supporters had continued, although there was in addition pockets of appreciation. But for the most part, there was a subdued stream to the doors. “That’s normal, we accept it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso remarked: “It’s nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were instances when they applauded too.”

Squad Backing Is Strong

“I feel the confidence of the players,” Alonso said. And if he supported them, they stood by him too, at least in front of the cameras. There has been a unification, discussions: the coach had listened to them, arguably more than they had embraced him, meeting a point not quite in the middle.

How lasting a remedy that is is still an open question. One small incident in the post-match press conference felt significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to stick to his principles, Alonso had allowed that implication to hang there, answering: “I have a good connection with Pep, we understand each other well and he understands what he is saying.”

A Starting Point of Resistance

Crucially though, he could be satisfied that there was a fight, a response. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they stood up for him. Some of this may have been for show, done out of obligation or mutual survival, but in this tense environment, it was significant. The intensity with which they played had been too – even if there is a danger of the most basic of standards somehow being framed as a kind of success.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a plan, that their mistakes were not his doing. “I believe my teammate Aurélien said it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The sole solution is [for] the players to change the mindset. The attitude is the key thing and today we have observed a change.”

Jude Bellingham, questioned if they were behind the coach, also responded quantitatively: “100%.”

“We persist in attempting to solve it in the locker room,” he elaborated. “We understand that the [outside] noise will not be helpful so it is about trying to resolve it in there.”

“I think the coach has been great. I individually have a excellent relationship with him,” Bellingham concluded. “Following the sequence of games where we drew a few, we had some very productive conversations behind the scenes.”

“Everything concludes in the end,” Alonso mused, possibly referring as much about poor form as everything.