Starting With Real Madrid

"I have a mission for you."

When Ronaldo returned from warming up, Gao Shen pulled him aside and gave him careful instructions.

The Brazilian superstar listened attentively.

"Later on, you'll replace Negredo and play as a striker. You don't need to do much. Just tie up Cannavaro and Thuram for me, disrupt their play, and get behind them."

Ronaldo, being sharp, understood Gao Shen's intention immediately. "Hit them back if I get the chance?"

Gao Shen shook his head. "If there's a chance, sure. But if not, create opportunities. Push their defense as much as possible. Don't tell me you can't handle those two old men."

Two old men?

Ronaldo's expression became richer.

Are they really that old?

Thuram had just turned thirty-four, and Cannavaro would be thirty-three in September. Among professional players, they were indeed quite old.

Despite Ronaldo's bloated body and reduced speed, he was still very adept at counterattacks.

As long as he got the chance to get behind the defense, Cannavaro and Thuram wouldn't be able to stop him.

More importantly, behind him were Raul, Zidane, and Beckham, all with strong passing abilities, especially Beckham, whose precise long passes were like long-range missiles.

Dare to press forward?

My handsome Beckham will hit your door with a Tomahawk missile, setting up Ronaldo for a one-on-one.

Come here!

Ronaldo nodded and looked at Gao Shen, noticing that the head coach had turned to face the visiting team's bench, locking eyes with Capello. The Juventus coach turned away angrily, while Gao Shen revealed a slight smile.

What to say?

Ronaldo saw two words on Gao Shen's face: cunning!

He suddenly realized how naive he had been, thinking Gao Shen was a harmless young man fresh out of school. What was the result? He had been completely outplayed.

Sure enough, this guy looked honest but was full of bad ideas.

Ronaldo decided he must talk to his Brazilian teammates after the game, warning them never to provoke this person again, or they might unknowingly get drenched in sweat.

I can't afford it, so I must avoid it!

"What's the matter?" Gao Shen didn't have the ability to read minds, so he couldn't guess what Ronaldo was thinking. He just noticed his strange expression.

Ronaldo shook his head guiltily. "It's nothing. I... promise to complete the task."

"Well, let's go." Gao Shen waved him off.

...

Capello felt a deep frustration!

Damn, is this how you play?

Don't you know how to respect your elders at all?

He was in a real bind now.

Why bring on Mutu?

Because Nedved couldn't handle the ball in the middle, and neither Trezeguet, Sarayeta, nor Ibrahimovic could pass effectively in the front. The Swedish center's deep drops were delaying the attack.

Capello had no one else to use. With Del Piero injured, he could only use Mutu.

Originally, he wanted to replace Chiellini and go with three at the back.

But now, with Ronaldo on the pitch and Real Madrid having two strikers up front, could Juventus still press forward?

If not Chiellini, who else could be replaced?

Emerson and Vieira were double midfielders and couldn't be moved, as any adjustment would affect the defense, and Zidane was still on the field for Real Madrid. Who knew what Zidane might do if he found space?

Capello hesitated for a while, leaving Mutu, who had warmed up, confused.

Are we making a substitution or not? Who will be replaced?

Why isn't anyone saying anything?

Finally, Capello gritted his teeth and substituted Camoranesi.

...

Seeing the substitution number on the sidelines, Gao Shen couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and laugh.

A position-for-position substitution, still a 4-4-2.

Previously, Gao Shen thought Juventus' lineup was strong but couldn't understand why, according to his memory, Juventus hadn't made it past the Champions League quarterfinals since 2003.

Now, he understood.

It was partly due to Serie A's overall conservative tactical atmosphere and partly because of Juventus' own lineup shortcomings, namely a severe lack of creativity.

Vieira, Emerson, Nedved, and Camoranesi were versatile and both offensive and defensive, but it depended on the game intensity.

In Serie A, against weaker teams, they could transform into the team's core, full of creativity. But in the Champions League, especially the knockout stages, their creativity was severely lacking.

Without creativity, there were no passes; without passes, no goals.

Moreover, Capello was an extremely risk-averse conservative.

Apart from these factors, there was also a very important detail: tactics.

Gao Shen had seen historical data. Juventus was eliminated in the round of 16 in 2004, being double-killed by Irueta's Super Depor in two rounds. It was also in that season that Super Depor came back from a 1-4 away loss to AC Milan to win 4-0 at home.

AC Milan's general manager Galliani once said that this defeat was enough to haunt AC Milan for years.

Last year, Juventus beat Real Madrid in the round of 16 but lost to Benitez's Liverpool in the quarter-finals.

This season, according to Gao Shen's memory, Juventus should lose to Arsenal.

It's worth noting that all three teams played a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Is this accidental?

Once could be a coincidence, twice might still be a coincidence, but three times?

On the football field, accidents are everywhere, but behind every accident, there must be a necessity.

That necessity was that Serie A, once the leader in European football tactics, was gradually falling behind.

Whether it was youth training talents or tactical changes, Serie A hadn't kept up in recent years.

Thus, the current Italian teams clung to their 4-4-2.

AC Milan's Champions League win next year was precisely because Ancelotti abandoned the 4-4-2 for a 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree formation.

Gao Shen had previously stated that the biggest advantage of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 over a 4-4-2 was the effective use of pitch space. The reason why Nedved appeared in the middle was because in a 4-4-2 formation, with two midfielders set back, there were huge gaps in the middle, making ball advancement extremely difficult.

Gao Shen had feared Juventus' strength before, but now, he suddenly realized that no matter how strong the lineup, if it was tactically flawed, it wouldn't be effective.

And this was the key to Real Madrid beating Juventus!

...

After the two teams completed their substitutions, the game remained deadlocked.

Real Madrid focused on interception and pressing from their own 30-meter area to the center line, remaining active in the midfield and frontcourt. Juventus, wary of Ronaldo lurking near their defense, dared not press forward easily.

In this scenario, Juventus' offense struggled to be threatening.

Conversely, Real Madrid, after identifying Juventus' weakness, began to increase their midfield and frontcourt pressing and counterattacks under Gao Shen's signals.

In the 78th minute, near the center line, Zidane made a sliding tackle to steal the ball from Mutu, got up, and initiated a counterattack.

Ronaldo, having retreated to the front, received Zidane's pass in a gap, turned, and sent a ball behind the defense, targeting Thuram's area.

Raul quickly slanted into the penalty area from the left and, after receiving Ronaldo's pass, took a shot before Zambrotta and Thuram could react. The ball narrowly missed the left post.

Bernabeu fans let out a collective groan of regret.

Two minutes later, Juventus attempted a long pass from the back, targeting Ibrahimovic.

The Swedish center, known for his aerial prowess, chested the ball down but was immediately pressed by Ramos and Delared. Delared intercepted and passed to Beckham.

Beckham, without hesitation, sent a precise long pass.

The ball flew into Juventus' half. Outside the penalty area, Ronaldo controlled it despite Cannavaro's challenge. The Brazilian maintained possession, burst into the penalty area, bypassed Thuram, and took a shot.

Buffon made a crucial save, deflecting the ball into the small penalty area, where Chiellini cleared it upfield.

Ronaldo didn't score but gave Beckham a thumbs up for the beautiful long pass and the comfortable setup. Had Cannavaro not touched it, the connection could have been smoother, likely resulting in a goal.

In the 83rd minute, Juventus attacked again. Mutu dribbled forward, attempting to pass to Sarayeta at the edge of the penalty area but was intercepted by Woodgate, who quickly passed to Gravesen.

Gravesen, not waiting for Juventus to react, passed diagonally to the left flank.

Raul sprinted forward with the ball.

Zambrotta chased desperately, but Raul, before Zambrotta could catch up, crossed from outside the penalty area to Ronaldo.

Facing Thuram and Cannavaro, Ronaldo made a sudden stop, protected the ball, and quickly passed to Zidane at the top of the arc. Zidane, unmarked, unleashed a powerful shot.

Buffon made another crucial save, keeping the goal intact.

In just five or six minutes, Real Madrid launched three threatening counterattacks, each time targeting Juventus' backline and creating shooting opportunities.

This was a stark reminder to Capello and Juventus.

Don't press forward!

Push further, and I'll break your glass with a slings.

This wave of counterattacks was the most exciting display of offensive football by Real Madrid and the two teams over both legs of the game. The Bernabeu fans were full of enthusiasm, as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

This is the kind of football Real Madrid should play!

After being continuously threatened, Juventus started to play more cautiously.

Capello knew that ever since Juventus sold Zidane, their attack had been like hitting a brick wall.

What are the chances of attacking Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and not conceding when already one goal behind?

As the game reached the eighty-fifth minute, the Juventus players on the pitch provided the answer.