For Xabi Alonso, the slide towards the abyss has looked sudden from the outside. Everything was fine at the beginning of November, results for Real Madrid excellent. Since when precious little has gone his way. The manager desperately needed something here. When this latest game eluded him, it was easy to fear the worst. Time is not a commodity afforded to men in his position.

Alonso has now won twice in eight matches in all competitions and the pain was deep, the frustration given an extra twist by the reality that his players did put it in for him. They were unable to bend the occasion to their will. The margins were against them.

For Pep Guardiola, there was simply satisfaction. The Manchester City manager had arrived in Madrid needing a response to the home defeat against Bayer Leverkusen in the previous Champions League game.

Guardiola got his lineup wrong that night and he took no chances on a return to a venue that has inspired so many emotions for him over the years, going as strong with it as possible. The result was a come-from-behind victory that tasted extremely sweet. It was not a vintage City performance and yet there was still plenty to like about it. Not least the scoreline. City were good enough.

Madrid were set fair when Rodrygo scored for the first time in 33 club-level appearances and ran into an embrace with Alonso during the celebrations. Much would be made of that.

But the whistles from the home fans would be shrill when it was all over. Nico O’Reilly equalised for City, his first Champions League goal embellishing a thrusting display and Erling Haaland scored what proved to be the winner from the penalty spot.

Madrid fought and they had the chances to pinch something, not least when the substitute Endrick headed against the crossbar in the closing stages. Alonso had introduced him for the central defender Raúl Asencio in an all-or-nothing move. Ultimately, it was nothing. Alonso grasped for the positives in the aftermath. The footballing gods are not in his corner.

It was Alonso’s 22nd game in charge and among his problems was a defensive injury crisis plus Kylian Mbappé being unfit. The striker was named among the substitutes, but when he did not warm up before the kick-off it was revealing. He would remain on the bench.

Everybody had expected goals and the initial exchanges suggested they were a racing certainty. Alonso almost got the early one he craved when Vinícius Júnior swayed one way and then the other on the edge of the City area and was fouled by Matheus Nunes’s swiping challenge. The referee, Clément Turpin, pointed to the penalty spot only for the video assistant referee to rule that the offence was fractionally outside the area. Federico Valverde’s free‑kick deflected and flashed past the far post.

Madrid did not look like a team in crisis at the outset. There was a fluidity about them, width on both sides. Jude Bellingham had the licence to roam; ditto Vinícius. Madrid were able to stretch City.

Vinícius went close on seven minutes, dinking wide from Rodrygo’s glorious low cross and the breakthrough had been advertised. When Álvaro Carreras sparked a break from left-back, having wrestled Bernardo Silva off the ball, Madrid worked it via Bellingham out right to Rodrygo. He was too quick for the covering O’Reilly. The finish was arrowed into the far corner.

And relax? Hardly. The vulnerabilities of this Madrid team were stamped all over the remainder of the first half, their descent from a position of strength startling. They would have been 3-1 down by the interval had Thibaut Courtois not made a double save to keep out Haaland and Rayan Cherki after O’Reilly had crossed from the left.

The match turned when Josko Gvardiol rose above Bellingham to work Courtois from Cherki’s corner; the goalkeeper could only shovel the ball out to O’Reilly who shot home. Madrid argued that Rúben Dias had fouled Antonio Rüdiger, Mbappé gesturing at the numerous screens up in the rafters to make the point. The offence was not there.

O’Reilly was involved in the goal for 2-1 and so was Rüdiger, who endured a difficult night. Guardiola would say he was fortunate not to collect a second yellow card in the second half. When O’Reilly crossed, Haaland was too sharp with his movement and Rüdiger seemed to panic, grabbing him and falling on top of him. The only surprise was that Turpin did not give the penalty straight away. He needed a nudge from the VAR. Haaland relished the responsibility from the spot.

How much did Alonso’s players want to fight for him in the second half? It was a legitimate question given the leaks from the dressing room that indicated they have not exactly been enthused by him. They did fight, Bellingham blowing a golden chance for 2-2 when his chip was too heavy with only Gianluigi Donnarumma in front of him.

City grew into the game. Cherki wanted to showcase his tricks and he almost helped his team to another goal; he narrowly missed Haaland with one pass. Jérémy Doku was brave and direct on the ball; Guardiola would lavish praise on him.

Vinícius could not release Rodrygo on the hour, O’Reilly getting back to tackle and Madrid, gripped by increasing desperation, would push in the last 15 minutes. Vinícius headed off target and volleyed another chance high. When Endrick was denied by the woodwork, the writing was on the wall.