Xabi Alonso Walking a Fine Line at Madrid Amidst Squad Endorsement.

No attacker in Real Madrid’s record books had experienced scoreless for as long as Rodrygo, but finally he was freed and he had a declaration to send, acted out for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had not scored in almost a year and was commencing only his fifth game this term, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to hand his team the opening goal against Manchester City. Then he wheeled and ran towards the bench to hug Xabi Alonso, the coach on the edge for whom this could represent an even greater liberation.

“This is a challenging time for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Results aren’t coming off and I aimed to prove the public that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the lead had been taken from them, another loss ensuing. City had come back, going 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso noted. That can happen when you’re in a “delicate” condition, he continued, but at least Madrid had fought back. On this occasion, they could not complete a turnaround. Endrick, brought on having played very little all season, struck the woodwork in the closing stages.

A Delayed Sentence

“It proved insufficient,” Rodrygo said. The issue was whether it would be enough for Alonso to hold onto his role. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been framed publicly, and how it was perceived internally. “Our performance proved that we’re behind the manager: we have played well, offered 100%,” Courtois added. And so the final decision was postponed, sentencing delayed, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.

A More Credible Form of Loss

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second time in four days, extending their uninspiring streak to two wins in eight, but this was a more respectable. This was a European powerhouse, not a domestic opponent. Streamlined, they had competed with intensity, the most obvious and most damning charge not aimed at them in this instance. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a converted penalty, almost salvaging something at the end. There were “many of very good things” about this showing, the boss stated, and there could be “no blame” of his players, tonight.

The Fans' Mixed Reception

That was not always the complete picture. There were moments in the second half, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At full time, a portion of supporters had repeated that, although there was in addition sporadic clapping. But primarily, there was a subdued flow to the subway. “We understand that, we comprehend it,” Rodrygo said. Alonso remarked: “There's nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were moments when they cheered too.”

Squad Support Stands Evident

“I have the backing of the players,” Alonso said. And if he supported them, they stood by him too, at least towards the media. There has been a coming together, discussions: the coach had considered them, perhaps more than they had accommodated him, reaching a point not precisely in the compromise.

How lasting a fix that is remains an matter of debate. One small moment in the after-game press conference seemed significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to follow his own path, Alonso had allowed that notion to linger, responding: “I share a good connection with Pep, we know each other well and he is aware of what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Resistance

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. This support may have been performative, done out of duty or mutual survival, but in this tense environment, it was meaningful. The effort with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a risk of the most basic of standards somehow being framed as a type of success.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a strategy, that their mistakes were not his fault. “I think my colleague Aurélien said it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The key is [for] the players to alter the attitude. The attitude is the key thing and today we have witnessed a change.”

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

“We’re still attempting to figure it out in the changing room,” he continued. “It's clear that the [outside] speculation will not be beneficial so it is about trying to fix it in there.”

“I think the coach has been great. I individually have a excellent rapport with him,” Bellingham stated. “Following the run of games where we were held a few, we had some very productive conversations internally.”

“Everything ends in the end,” Alonso concluded, possibly referring as much about a difficult spell as anything else.