Alonso Navigating a Thin Line at the Bernabéu Even With Dressing Room Support.

No offensive player in Los Blancos' record books had experienced scoreless for as such a duration as Rodrygo, but eventually he was unleashed and he had a message to broadcast, performed for public consumption. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in nine months and was beginning only his fifth game this term, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the lead against the English champions. Then he spun and ran towards the sideline to greet Xabi Alonso, the manager in the spotlight for whom this could signal an profound release.

“This is a tough period for him, just as it is for us,” Rodrygo said. “Performances aren’t coming off and I sought to prove everyone that we are together with the coach.”

By the time Rodrygo addressed the media, the lead had been lost, a setback ensuing. City had come back, taking 2-1 ahead with “not much”, Alonso observed. That can happen when you’re in a “delicate” condition, he continued, but at least Madrid had responded. Ultimately, they could not pull off a comeback. Endrick, introduced off the bench having played very little all season, struck the woodwork in the closing stages.

A Delayed Verdict

“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo admitted. The question was whether it would be sufficient for Alonso to hold onto his role. “We didn’t feel that [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois stated, but that was how it had been framed publicly, and how it was perceived internally. “We demonstrated that we’re with the coach: we have given a good account, provided 100%,” Courtois concluded. And so the final decision was postponed, consequences delayed, with matches against Alavés and Sevilla looming.

A Distinct Type of Setback

Madrid had been beaten at home for the second occasion in four days, continuing their recent run to two wins in eight, but this felt a more respectable. This was a European powerhouse, rather than a La Liga opponent. Simplified, they had competed with intensity, the most obvious and most critical accusation not directed at them in this instance. With eight men out injured, they had lost only to a opportunistic strike and a penalty, nearly earning something at the death. There were “many of very good things” about this display, the boss said, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, tonight.

The Fans' Mixed Response

That was not always the case. There were moments in the second half, as frustration grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had whistled. At the final whistle, a section of supporters had done so again, although there was likewise pockets of appreciation. But primarily, there was a muted procession to the doors. “We understand that, we accept it,” Rodrygo commented. Alonso added: “This is nothing that hasn’t happened before. And there were instances when they clapped too.”

Dressing Room Backing Is Firm

“I sense the backing of the players,” Alonso declared. And if he supported them, they supported him too, at least for the cameras. There has been a coming together, discussions: the coach had listened to them, perhaps more than they had adapted to him, meeting somewhere not precisely in the center.

The longevity of a solution that is continues to be an matter of debate. One seemingly minor incident in the after-game press conference seemed significant. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to follow his own path, Alonso had allowed that notion to remain unanswered, answering: “I share a good relationship 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 pleased that there was a fight, a response. Madrid’s players had not let Alonso fall during the game and after it they defended him. This support may have been performative, done out of professionalism or self-preservation, but in this context, it was meaningful. The effort with which they played had been equally so – even if there is a temptation of the most fundamental of standards somehow being framed as a kind of success.

Earlier, Aurélien Tchouaméni had argued the coach had a plan, that their failings were not his fault. “I believe my colleague Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The only way is [for] the players to change the mindset. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have witnessed a shift.”

Jude Bellingham, questioned if they were supporting the coach, also replied in numbers: “100%.”

“We are continuing trying to work it out in the changing room,” he elaborated. “We understand that the [outside] speculation 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 strong rapport with him,” Bellingham stated. “After the spell of games where we were held a few, we had some really great conversations among ourselves.”

“Every situation concludes in the end,” Alonso philosophized, maybe speaking as much about a difficult spell as anything else.