Manager Alonso Treading a Precarious Path at the Bernabéu Amidst Squad Backing.

No attacker in Real Madrid’s history had experienced failing to find the net for as long as Rodrygo, but finally he was unleashed and he had a statement to send, performed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had not scored in almost a year and was commencing only his fifth game this campaign, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the opening goal against the English champions. Then he turned and charged towards the sideline to hug Xabi Alonso, the coach in the spotlight for whom this could represent an even greater release.

“It’s a challenging moment for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Results are not going our way and I sought to demonstrate everyone that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the advantage had been lost, a defeat taking its place. City had reversed the score, going 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso remarked. That can transpire when you’re in a “delicate” condition, he added, but at least Madrid had reacted. On this occasion, they could not complete a recovery. Endrick, brought on having played a handful of minutes all season, hit the woodwork in the final seconds.

A Delayed Judgment

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo admitted. The dilemma was whether it would be enough for Alonso to retain his job. “That wasn't our perception [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 perceived internally. “We have shown that we’re behind the manager: we have played well, offered 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so the axe was reserved, consequences pending, with fixtures against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.

A Distinct Type of Setback

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second time in four days, perpetuating their uninspiring streak to two wins in eight, but this seemed a somewhat distinct. This was a European powerhouse, rather than a domestic opponent. Streamlined, they had actually run, the simplest and most critical accusation not directed at them this time. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a spot-kick, almost securing something at the death. There were “many of very good things” about this display, the head coach said, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, tonight.

The Fans' Ambivalent Response

That was not always the full story. There were periods in the second half, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At the conclusion, some of supporters had repeated that, although there was likewise pockets of appreciation. But primarily, there was a muted flow to the doors. “We understand that, we understand it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso stated: “It’s nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were moments when they cheered too.”

Player Support Remains Evident

“I sense the confidence of the players,” Alonso said. And if he backed them, they supported him too, at least towards the public. There has been a unification, conversations: the coach had accommodated them, perhaps more than they had accommodated him, finding somewhere not exactly in the center.

How lasting a fix that is is still an open question. One little exchange in the after-game press conference seemed telling. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to follow his own path, Alonso had let that idea to hang there, replying: “I share a good rapport with Pep, we understand each other well and he knows what he is saying.”

A Basis of Reaction

Crucially though, he could be content that there was a fight, a pushback. 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-preservation, but in this tense environment, it was important. The commitment with which they played had been as well – even if there is a risk of the most elementary of standards somehow being framed as a kind of success.

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

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

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

“In my opinion the gaffer has been excellent. I personally have a great relationship with him,” Bellingham added. “Following the sequence of games where we were held a few, we had some really great conversations behind the scenes.”

“Every situation concludes in the end,” Alonso concluded, possibly talking as much about poor form as anything else.