Xabi Alonso Walking a Fine Path at Madrid Despite Player Endorsement.

No offensive player in Los Blancos' record books had gone scoreless for as long as Rodrygo, but finally he was released and he had a message to send, executed for the cameras. The Brazilian, who had not scored in nine months and was beginning only his fifth match this term, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the opening goal against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he turned and sprinted towards the touchline to hug Xabi Alonso, the coach on the edge for whom this could represent an more significant relief.

“It’s a challenging moment for him, similar to how it is for us,” Rodrygo stated. “Things aren't working out and I sought to prove people that we are united with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the advantage had been surrendered, a setback ensuing. City had turned it around, taking 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso noted. That can transpire when you’re in a “delicate” situation, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had responded. This time, they could not engineer a comeback. Endrick, on as a substitute having played 11 minutes all season, hit the woodwork in the final seconds.

A Reserved Sentence

“The effort fell short,” Rodrygo said. The question was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to retain his job. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois insisted, but that was how it had been presented externally, and how it was perceived internally. “We have shown that we’re behind the coach: we have played well, given 100%,” Courtois affirmed. And so the axe was postponed, consequences delayed, with games against Alavés and Sevilla on the horizon.

A Different Type of Setback

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second time in four days, continuing their recent run to just two victories in eight, but this seemed a little different. This was Manchester City, not a La Liga opponent. Stripped down, they had actually run, the simplest and most harsh accusation not aimed at them on this night. With a host of first-teamers out injured, they had lost only to a scrambled finish and a penalty, nearly securing something at the final whistle. There were “numerous of very good things” about this display, the boss argued, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, not this time.

The Fans' Muted Reception

That was not always the complete picture. There were periods in the latter period, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At full time, a portion of supporters had repeated that, although there was also sporadic clapping. But mostly, there was a quiet flow to the subway. “We understand that, we comprehend it,” Rodrygo said. Alonso added: “It’s nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were moments when they cheered too.”

Squad Backing Stands Evident

“I sense the support of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he backed them, they stood by him too, at least for the public. There has been a unification, discussions: the coach had accommodated them, arguably more than they had accommodated him, meeting a point not exactly in the compromise.

How lasting a remedy that is remains an unresolved issue. One little incident in the post-match press conference appeared notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to stick to his principles, Alonso had allowed that notion to linger, replying: “I have a good relationship with Pep, we understand each other well and he knows what he is implying.”

A Foundation of Resistance

Crucially though, he could be satisfied that there was a resistance, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they publicly backed him. This support may have been theatrical, done out of duty or mutual survival, but in this climate, it was significant. The effort with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a risk of the most elementary of requirements somehow being elevated as a form of achievement.

In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a plan, that their mistakes were not his responsibility. “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 observed a difference.”

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

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

“Personally, I feel the coach has been great. I personally have a great rapport with him,” Bellingham added. “After the run of games where we tied a few, we had some really great conversations among ourselves.”

“All things concludes in the end,” Alonso mused, possibly speaking as much about poor form as anything else.