Alonso Navigating a Thin Line at Madrid Despite Squad Backing.

No forward in the club's annals had gone scoreless for as long as Rodrygo, but eventually he was released and he had a statement to broadcast, acted out for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in an extended drought and was starting only his fifth appearance this season, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to hand his team the opening goal against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he wheeled and ran towards the bench to embrace Xabi Alonso, the coach on the edge for whom this could represent an profound relief.

“It’s a tough period for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Things are not going our way and I sought to demonstrate people that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the advantage had been lost, a setback following. City had come back, taking 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso observed. That can transpire 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, on as a substitute having played 11 minutes all season, struck the woodwork in the dying moments.

A Reserved Judgment

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo conceded. The dilemma was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to hold onto his position. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois remarked, but that was how it had been presented externally, and how it was felt privately. “Our performance proved that we’re supporting the manager: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so the final decision was reserved, sentencing delayed, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.

A Distinct Type of Defeat

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second match in four days, perpetuating their uninspiring streak to just two victories in eight, but this seemed a somewhat distinct. This was Manchester City, not a La Liga opponent. Stripped down, they had competed with intensity, the easiest and most critical accusation not directed at them in this instance. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a penalty, coming close to earning something at the final whistle. There were “a lot of very good things” about this performance, the manager stated, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, on this occasion.

The Stadium's Muted Reception

That was not entirely the case. There were moments in the closing 45 minutes, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At the final whistle, a section of supporters had done so again, although there was in addition pockets of appreciation. But mostly, there was a quiet procession to the exits. “That’s normal, we comprehend it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso added: “There's nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were moments when they applauded too.”

Dressing Room Unity Is Evident

“I feel the support of the players,” Alonso said. And if he stood by them, they stood by him too, at least for the media. There has been a unification, conversations: the coach had considered them, maybe more than they had adapted to him, finding somewhere not quite in the middle.

The longevity of a solution that is is still an matter of debate. One little exchange in the post-match press conference felt telling. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to stick to his principles, Alonso had permitted that idea to hang there, replying: “I share a good connection with Pep, we understand each other well and he is aware of what he is saying.”

A Foundation of Reaction

Above all though, he could be pleased that there was a spirit, a pushback. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they defended him. Some of this may have been performative, done out of obligation or self-preservation, but in this context, it was important. The commitment with which they played had been too – even if there is a temptation of the most elementary of standards somehow being promoted as a kind of achievement.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a plan, that their failings were not his doing. “I think my colleague Aurélien put it perfectly in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The key is [for] the players to improve the mindset. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have witnessed a difference.”

Jude Bellingham, pressed if they were with the coach, also answered in numbers: “100%.”

“We persist in trying to figure it out in the changing room,” he elaborated. “We understand that the [outside] noise will not be productive so it is about trying to resolve it in there.”

“I think the coach has been great. I individually have a strong rapport with him,” Bellingham added. “After the sequence of games where we drew a few, we had some really great conversations behind the scenes.”

“All things concludes in the end,” Alonso mused, maybe talking as much about a difficult spell as anything else.