Alonso Walking a Fine Path at the Bernabéu Amidst Dressing Room Endorsement.

No offensive player in Real Madrid’s history had gone scoreless for as long as Rodrygo, but finally he was released and he had a message to broadcast, acted out for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had been goalless in almost a year and was commencing only his fifth game this season, beat shot-stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma to give them the opening goal against the English champions. Then he spun and sprinted towards the touchline to greet Xabi Alonso, the coach in the spotlight for whom this could signal an more significant liberation.

“This is a difficult period for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Results aren't working out and I aimed to demonstrate the public that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the lead had been lost, another loss taking its place. City had come back, going 2-1 ahead with “minimal”, Alonso remarked. That can transpire when you’re in a “delicate” state, he added, but at least Madrid had reacted. This time, they could not complete a turnaround. Endrick, on as a substitute having played a handful of minutes all season, struck the crossbar in the closing stages.

A Reserved Judgment

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo admitted. The question was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to retain his job. “That wasn't our perception [this was a trial of the coach],” goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois stated, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was perceived internally. “Our performance proved that we’re with the manager: we have performed creditably, given 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so the axe was withheld, sentencing delayed, with fixtures against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A Distinct Type of Setback

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second time in four days, perpetuating their poor form to two wins in eight, but this seemed a little different. This was the Premier League champions, rather than a lesser opponent. Stripped down, they had shown fight, the most obvious and most harsh accusation not directed at them on this night. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a penalty, coming close to salvaging something at the death. There were “numerous of very good things” about this performance, the head coach stated, and there could be “no criticism” of his players, tonight.

The Bernabéu's Ambivalent Reception

That was not completely the full story. There were moments in the latter period, as discontent grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had voiced its disapproval. At full time, a section of supporters had continued, although there was likewise some applause. But primarily, there was a muted flow to the doors. “It's to be expected, we accept it,” Rodrygo noted. Alonso stated: “There's nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were times when they applauded too.”

Player Backing Is Firm

“I feel the backing of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he backed them, they backed him too, at least in front of the cameras. There has been a unification, talks: the coach had listened to them, maybe more than they had adapted to him, meeting common ground not precisely in the middle.

Whether durable a fix that is continues to be an open question. One small moment in the after-game press conference felt notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s advice to stick to his principles, Alonso had let that implication to hang there, responding: “I have a good relationship with Pep, we know each other well and he is aware of what he is talking about.”

A Starting Point of Reaction

Crucially though, he could be satisfied that there was a fight, 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 performative, done out of obligation or self-interest, but in this context, it was significant. The commitment with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a risk of the most basic of expectations somehow being framed as a type of success.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had stated firmly the coach had a plan, that their mistakes were not his doing. “I believe my colleague Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said after full-time. “The key is [for] the players to improve the approach. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have witnessed a difference.”

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

“We’re still trying to work it out in the dressing room,” he continued. “It's clear that the [outside] noise will not be productive so it is about trying to resolve it in there.”

“In my opinion the manager has been superb. I personally have a excellent connection with him,” Bellingham stated. “Following the sequence of games where we drew a few, we had some really great conversations among ourselves.”

“Every situation passes in the end,” Alonso philosophized, possibly speaking as much about poor form as everything.