No forward in Los Blancos' annals had experienced without a goal for as long as Rodrygo, but eventually he was released and he had a message to deliver, acted out for the world to see. The Brazilian, who had failed to score in almost a year and was beginning only his fifth game this season, beat custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma to secure the advantage against Pep Guardiola's side. Then he turned and ran towards the touchline to greet Xabi Alonso, the boss in the spotlight for whom this could represent an even greater liberation.
“It’s a tough period for him, like it is for us,” Rodrygo commented. “Performances aren’t coming off and I wanted to show everyone that we are together with the coach.”
By the time Rodrygo spoke, the advantage had been taken from them, another loss following. City had reversed the score, going 2-1 ahead with “very little”, Alonso noted. That can transpire when you’re in a “fragile” state, he elaborated, but at least Madrid had fought back. Ultimately, they could not complete a turnaround. Endrick, on as a substitute having played 11 minutes all season, struck the bar in the dying moments.
A Delayed Verdict
“It wasn’t enough,” Rodrygo admitted. The dilemma was whether it would be adequate for Alonso to retain his job. “We didn't view it as [this was a trial of the coach],” veteran keeper Thibaut Courtois stated, but that was how it had been portrayed in the media, and how it was perceived internally. “We demonstrated that we’re with the coach: we have performed creditably, given 100%,” Courtois added. And so the final decision was withheld, any action delayed, with fixtures against Alavés and Sevilla imminent.
A Distinct Type of Loss
Madrid had been overcome at home for the second time in four days, continuing their uninspiring streak to two wins in eight, but this was a somewhat distinct. This was the Premier League champions, rather than a La Liga opponent. Simplified, they had competed with intensity, the easiest and most damning criticism not directed at them this time. With multiple players out injured, they had lost only to a messy goal and a converted penalty, coming close to earning something at the death. There were “many of very good things” about this performance, the manager stated, and there could be “no reproach” of his players, on this occasion.
The Fans' Ambivalent Reaction
That was not completely the case. There were moments in the latter period, as irritation grew, when the Santiago Bernabéu had jeered. At the conclusion, a portion of supporters had repeated that, although there was likewise some applause. But for the most part, there was a quiet flow to the doors. “We understand that, we understand it,” Rodrygo said. Alonso remarked: “There's nothing that is unprecedented before. And there were instances when they clapped too.”
Squad Unity Stands Firm
“I feel the confidence of the players,” Alonso said. And if he supported them, they backed him too, at least for the cameras. There has been a coming together, conversations: the coach had considered them, arguably more than they had adapted to him, reaching common ground not precisely in the compromise.
How lasting a fix that is is still an open question. One seemingly minor exchange in the post-match press conference felt notable. Asked about Pep Guardiola’s counsel to do things his way, Alonso had permitted that implication to remain unanswered, replying: “I share a good relationship with Pep, we know each other well and he knows what he is saying.”
A Foundation of Resistance
Above all though, he could be satisfied that there was a fight, a reaction. Madrid’s players had not given up during the game and after it they stood up for him. Some of this may have been theatrical, done out of professionalism or mutual survival, but in this climate, it was meaningful. The effort with which they played had been too – even if there is a danger of the most fundamental of standards somehow being framed as a type of achievement.
In the build-up, Aurélien Tchouaméni had insisted the coach had a vision, that their failings were not his responsibility. “I think my teammate Aurélien nailed it in the press conference,” Raúl Asencio said post-match. “The key is [for] the players to change the attitude. The attitude is the crucial element and today we have seen a difference.”
Jude Bellingham, pressed if they were behind the coach, also replied quantitatively: “100%.”
“We’re still attempting to work it out in the dressing room,” he said. “We understand that the [outside] speculation will not be beneficial so it is about striving to sort it out in there.”
“In my opinion the coach has been excellent. I individually have a great rapport with him,” Bellingham concluded. “Following the spell of games where we drew a few, we had some honest conversations behind the scenes.”
“All things passes in the end,” Alonso concluded, perhaps referring as much about adversity as his own predicament.