With only two teams coming to Estadio Mendizorrotza and winning this season, Alonso and his side could have done with an early nerve-settler, yet neither sight of goal for Kylian Mbappe in the first eight minutes found the target.
However, it was third time lucky for the Frenchman midway through the half, as he was unleashed on the left side by Jude Bellingham’s through ball, where he cut infield and curled an unstoppable effort past Antonio Sivera.
Los Blancos were denied a quickfire second goal minutes later when Bellingham fired home from a corner, having controlled the ball with his hand.
Following that let-off, the home side had much more of the ball and territory in the final 15 minutes of the half, but they did nothing to test the visiting defence until the very last action before the break, when Real failed to clear a free-kick into their box, which fell to Pablo Ibanez six yards out, but his prodded finish was kept out by the face of Thibaut Courtois.
That unorthodox save meant the away side led at half-time in an Alaves match for the first time this season.
The omens were good for Real Madrid as the second half began, given that they had won the 10 previous league games in which they had scored first this season.
But they aimed to leave nothing to chance, as Federico Valverde drilled a shot from range just wide, shortly before Sivera made a top-class double save to thwart Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
Failing to kill Los Albiazules off came back to haunt the away side midway through the half when Alaves equalised out of nowhere, with a long ball over the top picking out Carlos Vicente, who placed the ball out of Courtois’ reach.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but VAR proved Vicente had timed his run to perfection. When Rodrygo sent a free-kick flying over the crossbar, it was beginning to look like it wasn’t Los Merengues’ night.
But the Brazilian showed his class minutes later, as his compatriot Vini Junior used his pace to get around his marker on the left wing, playing a low cross for Rodrygo to tap home and restore the lead.
Vini Jr then had a penalty appeal turned away as Bellingham and Brahim Diaz came close to a third, but no late chances for Eduardo Coudet’s side meant Real held on for a vital win that took their unbeaten run in away matches to six, while the home side fell to an eighth successive head-to-head defeat.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
