Manager Alonso Navigating a Fine Tightrope at Real Madrid Amidst Player Support.

No attacker in Real Madrid’s annals had experienced failing to find the net for as long as Rodrygo, but at last he was released and he had a statement to broadcast, acted out for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had not scored in nine months and was beginning only his fifth appearance this campaign, beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the advantage against the English champions. Then he spun and sprinted towards the touchline to hug Xabi Alonso, the boss in the spotlight for whom this could represent an even greater liberation.

“This is a challenging time for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Things aren't working out and I wanted to prove the public that we are together with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo spoke, the lead had been lost, a setback ensuing. City had turned it around, taking 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso remarked. That can happen when you’re in a “sensitive” situation, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had reacted. This time, they could not pull off a comeback. Endrick, on as a substitute having played a handful of minutes all season, hit the woodwork in the closing stages.

A Reserved Judgment

“It proved insufficient,” Rodrygo conceded. The dilemma was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to retain his role. “We didn't view it as [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois remarked, but that was how it had been framed publicly, and how it was felt privately. “Our performance proved that we’re with the coach: we have performed creditably, offered 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so judgment was reserved, consequences suspended, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A Different Form of Defeat

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second occasion in four days, extending their poor form to two wins in eight, but this seemed a little different. This was Manchester City, rather than a La Liga opponent. Simplified, they had shown fight, the simplest and most harsh criticism not aimed at them on this night. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a penalty, almost earning something at the final whistle. There were “numerous of very good things” about this performance, the head coach argued, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, on this occasion.

The Fans' Muted Reaction

That was not completely the complete picture. There were periods in the second half, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At the final whistle, a section of supporters had done so again, although there was in addition sporadic clapping. But primarily, there was a subdued flow to the subway. “It's to be expected, we accept it,” Rodrygo said. Alonso added: “It’s nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were times when they applauded too.”

Squad Unity Remains Strong

“I sense the support of the players,” Alonso said. And if he stood by them, they supported him too, at least in front of the media. There has been a coming together, conversations: the coach had accommodated them, arguably more than they had adapted to him, reaching common ground not exactly in the middle.

The longevity of a fix that is is still an open question. One seemingly minor moment in the after-game press conference seemed notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to follow his own path, Alonso had let that idea to hang there, answering: “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 Fight

Above all though, he could be satisfied that there was a spirit, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they publicly backed him. Some of this may have been performative, done out of obligation or mutual survival, but in this context, it was meaningful. The intensity with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a risk of the most basic of expectations somehow being elevated as a type of achievement.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a vision, that their failings were not his responsibility. “I think my teammate Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The only way is [for] the players to improve the attitude. The attitude is the linchpin and today we have witnessed a change.”

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

“We’re still trying to figure it out in the changing room,” he continued. “We understand that the [outside] noise will not be helpful so it is about trying to sort it out in there.”

“I think the coach has been excellent. I individually have a excellent rapport with him,” Bellingham added. “Following the run of games where we were held a few, we had some really great conversations among ourselves.”

“Everything ends in the end,” Alonso mused, perhaps referring as much about a difficult spell as his own predicament.