Xabi Alonso Walking a Thin Line at the Bernabéu Despite Squad Support.

No attacker in Los Blancos' history had endured without a goal for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was freed and he had a message to deliver, performed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in an extended drought and was beginning only his fifth appearance this term, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to hand his team the lead against the English champions. Then he wheeled and sprinted towards the bench to greet Xabi Alonso, the boss on the edge for whom this could prove an profound relief.

“It’s a difficult time for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Performances are not going our way and I aimed to show the public that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo spoke, the lead had been taken from them, another loss taking its place. City had come back, going 2-1 ahead with “very little”, Alonso remarked. That can happen when you’re in a “sensitive” situation, he added, but at least Madrid had reacted. Ultimately, they could not complete a recovery. Endrick, introduced off the bench having played very little all season, struck the crossbar in the closing stages.

A Suspended Sentence

“It proved insufficient,” Rodrygo admitted. The dilemma was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to hold onto his job. “We didn't view it as [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was felt privately. “Our performance proved that we’re behind the manager: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so judgment was reserved, consequences delayed, with games against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.

A More Credible Type of Defeat

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second time in four days, continuing their uninspiring streak to just two victories in eight, but this was a more respectable. This was Manchester City, as opposed to a domestic opponent. Streamlined, they had competed with intensity, the simplest and most critical accusation not directed at them this time. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a spot-kick, coming close to salvaging something at the death. There were “numerous of very good things” about this display, the head coach stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, tonight.

The Bernabéu's Mixed Reception

That was not always the complete picture. There were moments in the closing 45 minutes, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At the final whistle, a section of supporters had repeated that, although there was likewise sporadic clapping. But primarily, there was a muted flow to the exits. “It's to be expected, we understand it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso added: “It’s nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were moments when they cheered too.”

Dressing Room Unity Stands Evident

“I feel the confidence of the players,” Alonso affirmed. And if he backed them, they stood by him too, at least for the public. There has been a coming together, talks: the coach had accommodated them, arguably more than they had accommodated him, reaching somewhere not exactly in the center.

The longevity of a fix that is remains an open question. One small incident in the post-match press conference appeared significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to stick to his principles, Alonso had allowed that implication to hang there, responding: “I share a good connection with Pep, we know each other well and he understands what he is saying.”

A Foundation of Reaction

Above all though, he could be satisfied that there was a resistance, a response. Madrid’s players had not abandoned their coach during the game and after it they defended him. Some of this may have been theatrical, done out of duty or self-interest, but in this tense environment, it was important. The intensity with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a risk 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 shortcomings were not his fault. “In my view my teammate Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The key is [for] the players to improve the approach. The attitude is the key thing and today we have seen a shift.”

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

“We are continuing trying to work it out in the locker room,” he continued. “We understand that the [outside] noise will not be helpful so it is about trying to sort it out in there.”

“In my opinion the gaffer has been great. I personally have a strong connection with him,” Bellingham concluded. “After the run of games where we drew a few, we had some really great conversations behind the scenes.”

“Everything concludes in the end,” Alonso concluded, maybe talking as much about a difficult spell as his own predicament.