Manager Alonso Treading a Fine Path at Real Madrid Amidst Squad Support.

No offensive player in Real Madrid’s history had endured failing to find the net for as extended a period as Rodrygo, but eventually he was freed and he had a statement to send, acted out for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in almost a year and was starting only his fifth game this campaign, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the lead against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he wheeled and charged towards the touchline to greet Xabi Alonso, the manager in the spotlight for whom this could represent an even greater liberation.

“It’s a tough time for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Performances are not going our way and I wanted to show the public that we are together with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the advantage had been taken from them, another loss following. City had come back, going 2-1 ahead with “very little”, Alonso noted. That can transpire when you’re in a “delicate” situation, he continued, but at least Madrid had responded. This time, they could not engineer a turnaround. Endrick, brought on having played a handful of minutes all season, struck the woodwork in the final seconds.

A Reserved Judgment

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo said. The dilemma was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to keep his position. “We didn't view it as [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois stated, but that was how it had been framed publicly, and how it was perceived internally. “We have shown that we’re behind the coach: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so judgment was postponed, any action delayed, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A Distinct Type of Loss

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second occasion in four days, continuing their recent run to two wins in eight, but this seemed a little different. This was a European powerhouse, not a domestic opponent. Streamlined, they had actually run, the easiest and most critical accusation not directed at them on this night. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a penalty, coming close to earning something at the death. There were “many of very good things” about this display, the head coach stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, tonight.

The Stadium's Ambivalent Reaction

That was not completely the case. There were moments in the closing 45 minutes, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At full time, a portion of supporters had repeated that, although there was likewise pockets of appreciation. But for the most part, there was a quiet procession to the exits. “We understand that, we understand it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso stated: “This is nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were moments when they cheered too.”

Player Support Is Firm

“I have the confidence of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he supported them, they backed him too, at least in front of the cameras. There has been a rapprochement, discussions: the coach had accommodated them, arguably more than they had embraced him, finding a point not exactly in the compromise.

Whether durable a fix that is is still an matter of debate. One small moment in the post-match press conference seemed notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to follow his own path, Alonso had let that implication to hang there, answering: “I have a good connection with Pep, we know each other well and he understands what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Resistance

Above all though, he could be content 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 performative, done out of duty or mutual survival, but in this tense environment, it was important. The effort with which they played had been as well – even if there is a danger of the most elementary of expectations somehow being promoted as a type of achievement.

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

Jude Bellingham, asked if they were supporting the coach, also replied quantitatively: “100%.”

“We’re still striving to work it out in the changing room,” he continued. “We know that the [outside] noise will not be helpful so it is about attempting to fix it in there.”

“I think the manager has been great. I myself have a excellent rapport with him,” Bellingham concluded. “Following the run of games where we tied a few, we had some very productive conversations among ourselves.”

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