Xabi Alonso Walking a Precarious Line at Real Madrid Amidst Dressing Room Support.

No offensive player in Real Madrid’s record books had endured failing to find the net for as long as Rodrygo, but eventually he was freed and he had a declaration to broadcast, executed for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in almost a year and was commencing only his fifth appearance this term, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the lead against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he wheeled and sprinted towards the sideline to greet Xabi Alonso, the coach on the edge for whom this could represent an profound relief.

“This is a tough period for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Results aren't working out and I sought to show everyone that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the advantage had been surrendered, a setback following. City had come back, going 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso noted. That can happen when you’re in a “sensitive” state, he added, but at least Madrid had reacted. This time, they could not complete a turnaround. Endrick, brought on having played very little all season, hit the crossbar in the final seconds.

A Suspended Judgment

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo admitted. The issue was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to keep his position. “That wasn't our perception [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been framed publicly, and how it was understood behind closed doors. “We demonstrated that we’re supporting the coach: we have performed creditably, provided 100%,” Courtois added. And so judgment was withheld, consequences suspended, with fixtures against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.

A Distinct Form of Setback

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second occasion in four days, perpetuating their uninspiring streak to a mere pair of successes in eight, but this was a somewhat distinct. This was Manchester City, not a lesser opponent. Stripped down, they had competed with intensity, the simplest and most harsh charge not levelled at them on this night. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a penalty, coming close to earning something at the death. There were “a lot of very good things” about this showing, the boss said, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, not this time.

The Fans' Ambivalent Reception

That was not completely the full story. There were moments in the second half, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At the conclusion, a section of supporters had done so again, although there was also pockets of appreciation. But primarily, there was a quiet stream to the doors. “We understand that, we accept it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso added: “There's nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were times when they applauded too.”

Player Unity Is Evident

“I sense the support of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he stood by them, they supported him too, at least for the public. There has been a coming together, talks: the coach had considered them, maybe more than they had embraced him, finding somewhere not precisely in the center.

How lasting a remedy that is continues to be an unresolved issue. One little exchange in the post-match press conference seemed significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to do things his way, Alonso had permitted that implication to remain unanswered, answering: “I have a good rapport with Pep, we know each other well and he understands what he is talking about.”

A Basis of Fight

Above all though, he could be content that there was a resistance, a pushback. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they publicly backed him. Some of this may have been theatrical, done out of duty or self-preservation, but in this tense environment, it was significant. The effort with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a risk of the most basic of expectations somehow being promoted as a form of achievement.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a strategy, that their shortcomings were not his fault. “I believe my colleague Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The key is [for] the players to improve the attitude. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have seen a difference.”

Jude Bellingham, questioned if they were supporting the coach, also replied in numbers: “100%.”

“We’re still striving to figure it out in the locker room,” he elaborated. “We know that the [outside] speculation will not be beneficial so it is about striving to sort it out in there.”

“In my opinion the manager has been excellent. I individually have a great connection with him,” Bellingham stated. “After the sequence of games where we tied a few, we had some honest conversations among ourselves.”

“Everything ends in the end,” Alonso philosophized, perhaps speaking as much about adversity as everything.