Manager Alonso Treading a Fine Tightrope at the Bernabéu Despite Squad Support.

No offensive player in the club's history had endured failing to find the net for as long as Rodrygo, but eventually he was freed and he had a declaration to broadcast, executed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in an extended drought and was starting only his fifth appearance this term, beat goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to hand his team the advantage against the English champions. Then he turned and charged towards the touchline to greet Xabi Alonso, the manager under pressure for whom this could prove an profound liberation.

“This is a challenging period for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Things aren’t coming off and I sought to demonstrate people that we are as one with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo made his comments, the lead had been surrendered, a defeat following. City had turned it around, going 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso remarked. That can transpire when you’re in a “delicate” state, he continued, but at least Madrid had responded. This time, they could not pull off a turnaround. Endrick, brought on having played 11 minutes all season, rattled the woodwork in the dying moments.

A Delayed Judgment

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo said. The issue was whether it would be adequate 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 supporting the manager: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so judgment was withheld, consequences suspended, with fixtures against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A Different Kind of Loss

Madrid had been defeated at home for the second time in four days, perpetuating their poor form to just two victories in eight, but this felt a more respectable. This was a European powerhouse, as opposed to a domestic opponent. Streamlined, they had actually run, the easiest and most critical criticism not directed at them this time. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a spot-kick, nearly salvaging something at the final whistle. There were “numerous of very good things” about this display, the boss said, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, not this time.

The Stadium's Muted Reaction

That was not completely the complete picture. There were moments in the second half, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At the conclusion, a section of supporters had continued, although there was in addition sporadic clapping. But mostly, there was a quiet procession to the subway. “That’s normal, we accept it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso added: “There's nothing that doesn't occur before. And there were instances when they cheered too.”

Dressing Room Backing Is Evident

“I feel the backing of the players,” Alonso said. And if he backed them, they stood by him too, at least for the cameras. There has been a rapprochement, conversations: the coach had accommodated them, arguably more than they had accommodated him, finding common ground not quite in the center.

The longevity of a remedy that is is still an unresolved issue. One small moment in the post-match press conference felt significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s suggestion to stick to his principles, Alonso had allowed that notion to linger, answering: “I share a good connection with Pep, we know each other well and he understands what he is saying.”

A Starting Point of Reaction

Above all though, he could be satisfied that there was a spirit, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they publicly backed him. This support may have been theatrical, done out of professionalism or self-interest, but in this context, it was significant. The intensity with which they played had been as well – even if there is a danger of the most basic of standards somehow being framed as a form of positive.

The previous day, Aurélien Tchouaméni had argued the coach had a plan, that their failings were not his doing. “I believe my colleague Aurélien said it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The only way is [for] the players to alter the attitude. The attitude is the key thing and today we have observed a difference.”

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

“We persist in trying to figure it out in the locker room,” he said. “It's clear that the [outside] chatter will not be beneficial so it is about striving to resolve it in there.”

“In my opinion the coach has been superb. I myself have a great connection with him,” Bellingham added. “After the spell of games where we were held a few, we had some very productive conversations behind the scenes.”

“All things passes in the end,” Alonso concluded, maybe talking as much about adversity as anything else.