SWR: Chapter 1082/1085

Chapter 1082: Old Rogue

Gao Shen was actually not familiar with the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

He did not come often, and he did not even want to come unless necessary.

Because he was too busy.

And Monaco was really inconvenient.

There is no airport, and transportation is not convenient, so it takes a long time to get here.

Just like now, after attending this event, Gao Shen had to rush to nearby Nice to catch an evening flight to Prague, Czech Republic, which would take four or five hours round trip.

By the time they arrived in Prague, it would be almost dawn.

Tomorrow was the European Super Cup match.

So, would Gao Shen be willing to attend?

At this point in his career, he no longer needed to prove himself by showing up at such occasions.

Even if he did not come, the award would still be his.

The award ceremony and the draw were scheduled to begin around 6 p.m., but Gao Shen arrived about half an hour early.

He was traveling with Ronaldo, a fitting companion.

With them were Real Madrid vice president Butragueño and technical director Valdano.

The four of them walked into the Grimaldi Forum and immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Real Madrid was now the most watched team in Europe. Especially in the year since Gao Shen took over again as head coach, their progress had been astonishing.

From Real Madrid to Napoli to Manchester City, and now back to Real Madrid, Gao Shen had already proven his coaching ability at every stop. Any team he coached was impossible to ignore.

What was more, Real Madrid was currently the richest and most willing-to-spend top club in European football.

This powerful combination could make any team in the world tremble.

Every place and every circle had its own people.

As soon as Gao Shen arrived, he immediately ran into an old acquaintance.

For example, Marino of Napoli.

The bald Italian powerhouse was doing very well at Napoli. Gao Shen had completely changed his fate. Napoli was now a top Serie A team and could not be underestimated.

Although they could not win the title every year, at least they could get their hands on trophies from time to time.

From Manchester City came Brian Marwood, the chairman's advisor, who came over to thank Gao Shen.

Previously, Manchester City's general manager Gary Cook had been dismissed because of the email scandal. Marwood had called Gao Shen to ask for advice. At that time, Gao Shen recommended Ferran Soriano and Begiristain.

Gao Shen said that by bringing in those two, they would be able to get closer to Guardiola.

Now, Soriano was Manchester City's general manager and Begiristain was the technical director.

Unfortunately, Guardiola had been intercepted by Bayern.

Speaking of which, another person had to be mentioned.

Ferguson retired.

…

"Old Sir, I see you have been enjoying a comfortable life since your retirement."

When Gao Shen saw Ferguson, he took the initiative to greet him.

Ferguson chuckled, "I am carefree every day now. I eat whatever I want, drink whatever I want, and sleep whenever I want. I do not have to worry about being woken up by phone calls in the middle of the night. Is that not great?"

"Great," Gao Shen praised with a smile.

Only after becoming a head coach, especially the head coach of a top club, would one realize how many things there were to handle every day. Many times, Gao Shen felt that one person was not enough and wished he could summon a clone.

It was a pity that other transmigrators brought superpowers, but he had only brought a library.

It could be seen that Ferguson was in great shape. After retirement, he still received a salary from Manchester United, two million pounds a year.

Of course, he received this as an ambassador for Manchester United.

That was already the level of top players in Europe's top leagues.

The key was that the job required only 10 to 20 working days a year, and he could go to Old Trafford to watch games for free at any time.

Tell me, where else in the world could you find such a good job?

"Seeing you like this, I really want to retire," Gao Shen joked.

Ferguson waved his hands repeatedly. "No, I am counting on you to do me a favor."

"What is it?"

But Gao Shen reacted immediately. "Let us make a deal. I will find a lawyer later. If you mention me in a speech or a column next time, make sure you pay me, or I will sue you."

Ferguson laughed.

Word had already spread in the coaching circle that Ferguson's speeches had become more insightful, often analyzing advanced tactics or sharing anecdotes about the two of them.

"I am not here to tell you that this time." Ferguson spoke seriously, suppressing his smile. "I am planning to publish an autobiography."

"And then?" Gao Shen guessed immediately.

"Write me a preface and I will pay you."

"How much do I owe you?"

"Not much? Even better. You saved me money. You have no idea, I am getting older now, and making a little money is not easy. Unlike you, young and strong, with a high annual salary. I really envy you. Thank you in advance."

Gao Shen was a little dumbfounded.

Damn, was this not too shameless?

Did I agree to this?

But in the end, Gao Shen really had no way to deal with this old rogue, so he agreed.

Who could blame him, it was Ferguson.

"But I warn you, I will not go easy on you."

"Write whatever you want," Ferguson said bluntly.

Gao Shen understood that if he started scolding, Ferguson would make sure to include every word in his autobiography, and the sales would probably be even better.

As expected, a shrewd old fox.

"Let me tell you, there is still a score I have not settled with you." Gao Shen remembered something else.

"What is it?"

"Do not play dumb. I am asking you, were you the one who brought Bayern Munich and Guardiola together?"

Ferguson could not help laughing again.

"I am the manager of Manchester United..."

"Ahem, say that again."

"The former head coach, now an ambassador, earning two million a year. I think about Manchester United's interests, should I not?"

Ferguson's words sounded perfectly reasonable.

Gao Shen really could not argue with him.

It had to be said that Ferguson's move had really given Manchester City a headache.

Originally, they planned to let Guardiola take a year off and have Pellegrini act as a bridge. In the end, Guardiola went to Bayern.

"Is it useful for you to care so much about Manchester United? The successor you handpicked has one win, one draw, and one loss in the Premier League to start the new season, ranking 8th, five points behind Manchester City." Gao Shen could not help but poke at him.

Speaking of which, Manchester United's performance to start the new season was really surprising.

Of course, not to Gao Shen.

He had long concluded that Moyes was not capable of managing the current Manchester United.

Because Manchester United's problem was not just the squad, and not just the team. It was an issue that ran through the entire club from top to bottom.

"The league has just started, it is still early," Ferguson said stubbornly. "Besides, how good are you, Leeds United? Your ranking is even worse than ours, at 10th."

Leeds United also had one win, one draw, and one loss, the same points as Manchester United, but behind on goal difference.

The two teams were somewhat similar, both with one win and one loss in two away matches, plus a draw at home.

The difference was that Manchester United had faced Chelsea and Liverpool, while Leeds had encountered mid and lower-table teams, which led to Leeds' less than ideal situation.

Judging by last season's performances, Leeds should have won those three matches, but they only won one, and even lost the home game to the Black Cats, Sunderland. That really should not have happened.

"Seriously, is Pochettino the one you chose okay?" Ferguson asked.

"Our goal this season is to avoid relegation."

Seeing Ferguson's disdainful look, Gao Shen laughed and said, "Just wait. I have confidence in him."

Gao Shen's vision in selecting coaches and players was always astonishing.

No need to talk about players. Just look at the coaches.

Gao Shen had been coaching for seven or eight years. How many coaches had he helped develop?

He strongly recommended Guardiola to coach Barcelona, and Sarri studied under him for three years and became his apprentice. Klopp, Tuchel, Conte, Allegri, and others had all attended his lectures and maintained close ties with him.

Pochettino was by no means ordinary. He had already proven his coaching ability at Espanyol.

But after last season, many people no longer compared Leeds United to Espanyol. After all, Leeds finished sixth in the Premier League last season.

Those were all individual coaches he had worked with, and there was also a highly skilled coaching team, all top professionals in today's game.

So many people now said that while they were certainly talented, what mattered more was that they had met Gao Shen.

Take Leeds United's current CEO Fernando Lucas as an example. He was originally a university student who graduated in economics. He was recommended by Gao Shen to study data analysis, then was gradually trained by Gao Shen and became a leading data analyst.

Up to now, he had become a well-known professional manager in the Premier League, which was also due to Gao Shen's trust.

What if he had not met Gao Shen?

Perhaps he would have remained an ordinary young coach in Real Madrid's youth academy.

This was true for Fernando Lucas, and for everyone else as well.

The reason they became leaders in the industry was because they had met Gao Shen.

…

Gao Shen and Ferguson parted ways on bad terms, mainly because the old man failed to extort any money.

According to UEFA's schedule, the awards would be presented first, followed by the draw.

Gao Shen sat with Butragueño and Valdano, while Ronaldo sat with the players.

The first award was for Coach of the Year. Gao Shen went on stage to receive the award and gave a routine thank you.

UEFA's Player of the Year was different from the FIFA Ballon d'Or. It was divided into two rounds of voting. The first round determined the top three, and the second round was on-site voting. There were a total of 52 votes. Ronaldo received 42 and was elected Player of the Year without any suspense.

When the Portuguese star accepted the award, he did not forget to thank a group of Real Madrid players, and he emphasized his gratitude to Gao Shen.

He said that the two head coaches he was most grateful to were both sitting in the Grimaldi Forum tonight, which was the best gift he could receive along with the award.

Needless to say, those two were Gao Shen and Ferguson.

After the awards were presented, the draw ceremony began.

The four draw guests tonight were Figo, Cruyff, Owen, and Paulo Sousa.

Among them, Figo was also the image ambassador of the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, where this year's Champions League final would be held.

Sitting in the audience, Gao Shen thought that if Leeds United's new stadium was built in the future, they might consider bidding to host a Champions League final.

However, if you want to bid to host the Champions League final, the stadium's capacity cannot be reduced.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1083: We Only Have One Chance

Gao Shen never believed in his luck, because he had never had good luck.

But he had to admit that this time his luck was not too bad.

Of course, it was not good either.

The Pot 1 team drawn was Manchester United, from Pot 3 it was Leverkusen, and from Pot 4 it was Anderlecht of Belgium. This could only be considered average luck.

The Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga, and the Belgian First Division. Logically speaking, the overall strength of these four teams was relatively strong compared to other groups.

But you could not look at it only that way.

From Real Madrid's perspective, whether it was Anderlecht or even Leverkusen, Real Madrid was confident about beating them.

Manchester United, Leverkusen, and Anderlecht were all in Western Europe, which made away matches very convenient for Real Madrid.

If they had drawn teams from Greece, Türkiye, or even Russia or Ukraine, with long-distance away trips, especially in the snow and ice of November and December, that would have been terrible.

In comparison, Gao Shen actually preferred opponents like Leverkusen and Anderlecht.

So he was quite satisfied with this draw.

But Ferguson was a little depressed.

Among the eight Pot 2 teams, only Manchester City were from the Premier League. Out of the remaining seven, Manchester United actually drew Real Madrid. What else could Ferguson say?

When the draw ceremony ended, Ferguson felt even more frustrated seeing Gao Shen smiling.

"Old Sir, you must remind Moyes that the fight for second place in this group will be intense."

Ferguson was choked into silence.

But thinking it over carefully, Gao Shen was right.

In terms of strength, Real Madrid was certainly in the first tier.

Who knew why Real Madrid, with their strength, were placed in Pot 2?

They were the defending champions.

If they finished second, Manchester United, Leverkusen, and Anderlecht would all have a chance to qualify. It would just come down to probability.

Watching Gao Shen leave contentedly, Ferguson felt a wave of annoyance.

Laugh while you can.

I will have Moyes crush your Leeds United, then we will see if you can still laugh.

I cannot do anything to your Real Madrid, but I cannot beat your Leeds United?

…

Gao Shen certainly did not know what Ferguson was plotting. In fact, even if he did, he would not be afraid.

In Gao Shen's view, Pochettino and his team needed more tests and baptisms from strong opponents. Only then would the strength they honed be real and meaningful.

Therefore, if Ferguson really wanted Manchester United to "torment" Leeds United, Gao Shen would probably raise both hands in support.

Regarding this draw, in an interview after the ceremony, Gao Shen first expressed his confidence. He was satisfied with the result and firmly believed the team would advance from the group.

Of course, no one would believe that Real Madrid under Gao Shen would fail to get out of the group.

This Real Madrid was no longer the Real Madrid of the past.

But Gao Shen also changed tone and reminded the players to stay vigilant.

"Manchester United, Leverkusen, and Anderlecht are all strong teams with considerable European experience. This requires us to be at our best in every match and give our all."

"Only then can we ensure we qualify from the group."

Gao Shen also said that all three teams had a chance to qualify, and if Real Madrid wanted to go through, they had to go all out.

Not only Gao Shen, but Valdano and Butragueño also spoke with caution. By contrast, Ronaldo was full of confidence, saying Real Madrid would definitely qualify and would top the group.

"We have only one goal, and that is the treble."

Ronaldo's statement could be regarded as a firm response to the head coach.

Moreover, after winning the UEFA Player of the Year, the Portuguese had an even bigger goal.

The FIFA Ballon d'Or.

That required him to maintain a high level of performance and attacking output over the next few months.

…

After finishing at the Grimaldi Forum, Gao Shen, Butragueño, Valdano, and others attended the UEFA dinner, then headed straight to Nice and took the last evening flight from Nice to Frankfurt, Germany.

It took nearly five hours to fly from Nice to Frankfurt, then on to Prague, Czech Republic.

After arriving in Prague, the driver was already waiting. By the time they got to the hotel, it was dawn.

The European Super Cup was in the evening, so Gao Shen had to rest and get some sleep first.

He slept until almost noon and was woken by a call from Carlo.

After washing up and eating something, Gao Shen went straight to the meeting room.

By then, the players were already there.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who had flown in at the same time as Gao Shen, was looking at the head coach with bright energy. That vigor made Gao Shen sigh. It was good to be young.

Ronaldo was not only young but strong. Even without a night's sleep, he was still full of energy.

Gao Shen no longer could do that, especially after turning 30. His energy was not what it used to be.

This was a routine pre-match meeting, mainly to discuss the tactics against Chelsea that night.

One thing was certain, Mourinho's team would adopt a defensive counterattacking approach. That was their consistent characteristic, and also their strength.

Especially after signing Koulibaly for a high fee this summer, he had been highly valued by Mourinho.

But Gao Shen still believed Chelsea had serious problems.

For example, at centre forward and defensive midfield.

After Drogba left, Chelsea signed Torres from Liverpool for a big fee, but the Spaniard did not perform well, which made it difficult for Mourinho's team to break down opponents.

Scoring was a major problem facing Mourinho's Chelsea.

The defensive midfield issue was also significant.

"If I am not mistaken, it should still be the double pivot of Ramires and Lampard, but they are not stable enough."

Whether Lampard or Ramires, neither had the ability to truly control the midfield. Strictly speaking, they were not holding midfielders.

Mikel had big problems, but at least he was a defensive midfielder.

Romeu had been brought in from Barcelona earlier, but he did not perform well.

If Gao Shen remembered correctly, in his previous life Chelsea's defensive midfield only stabilized after they signed Matic from the Portuguese league for a high fee.

But now, Matic was still in the Portuguese league.

Moreover, with rising prices this summer, Matic's current value was definitely higher than in the previous timeline.

In response to Chelsea's problems, Gao Shen's strategy was to fully exploit the instability of Chelsea's double pivot at the top of the box, pull their two centre backs out of position, then use pace to attack the space behind them and shatter Chelsea's defense in one go.

"Mourinho's teams are always known for their defensive ability, so we must be fully prepared. This will not be an easy game. Chelsea are an iron army and a tough nut to crack. It will be a very difficult match."

"Even if we give our all, we may only create one chance."

"So we must seize every opportunity."

Gao Shen's words were not alarmist.

Mourinho's attacking setups had never been particularly strong.

At least in Gao Shen's opinion, they were ordinary. He even mocked Mourinho in private for it, which the Portuguese firebrand never liked.

But Gao Shen would never doubt or underestimate Mourinho's defensive ability and the playing style of the teams he managed.

This was an iron army with great tenacity.

After Gao Shen finished, he realized he might have been too serious. He immediately clapped his hands and smiled at the players.

"This is the second trophy we are fighting for this season. We are determined to win it, but..."

Gao Shen tried to adopt a relaxed tone in front of his players.

"We do not need to feel any pressure. To be honest, Chelsea's defense is very good and will definitely cause us problems, but I still have great confidence in you."

"As long as we play our game, I believe there will not be any major problems, so there is no need to overthink."

…

The meeting ended in a lively atmosphere, with Gao Shen acting relaxed. But it would be impossible to say the players were not taking it seriously.

After the meeting, Gao Shen held another session with the coaching staff, focusing on the team's current condition, especially player fitness.

Having just played Barcelona at Camp Nou, Real Madrid were now facing Chelsea. Both matches were tough, so adjustments were necessary.

If they continued with large-scale rotation, it would probably be too difficult for the young players.

Gao Shen's idea was to focus on localized adjustments among the main players.

After all, only two days had passed from Camp Nou to Prague. The schedule was really stressful and physically demanding for Real Madrid's players.

Proper rotation was necessary at this time.

Too much rotation would affect the team's competitiveness, and too little rotation would also affect their competitiveness.

Finding the right balance depended entirely on Gao Shen.

Many fans sometimes criticized a head coach's rotation, but they did not know that rotation was not easy. There were too many details to weigh and consider.

After basically finalizing the starting lineup, Gao Shen still had to communicate with the players one by one.

He needed to explain things to those on the squad list but not in the starting lineup, and remind them what to pay attention to while on the bench. At the same time, he needed to speak with the starters, reiterate his tactical demands one-on-one, and ensure they understood and would execute them.

Once everything was done, it was time to head to Eden Arena.

It was also at this time that Butragueño and Valdano appeared, unhurried.

The two had fallen asleep as soon as they arrived in Prague and had not woken up until now.

"I am quitting as head coach and applying to be vice chairman, head of PR, and technical director. You two can deal with the rest."

It was so annoying.

Valdano and Butragueño were quite pleased to be the targets of Gao Shen's envy and complaints, and they kept laughing.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1084: A Game for Cowards

Eden Arena in Prague, Czech Republic.

In the home dressing room, Chelsea's players were making their final preparations before going out.

Mourinho stood with his arms crossed, watching the players bustle about, quietly rehearsing his words in his head.

Strictly speaking, the European Super Cup was not a major competition, but it was tied to the team's morale.

It was also tied to Mourinho himself.

He did not want to lose to Gao Shen again.

Since Gao Shen made his debut, Mourinho had faced him several times but had never gained an advantage. He had never given up, always working, always trying, always waiting for an opportunity.

He believed that fate would favor him eventually.

Maybe tonight.

When everyone had almost finished, Mourinho checked the time, coughed twice, and stepped forward.

"Let me say a few words."

As soon as he spoke, everyone put down what they were doing. Those who were almost done wrapped up immediately.

The dressing room fell silent and all eyes turned to Mourinho.

Goalkeeper: Petr Cech.

Defense: Ashley Cole, Terry, Koulibaly, and Ivanovic.

Midfield: Lampard and Ramires as a double pivot, with Schürrle, Oscar, and Willian ahead.

Forward: Torres.

It was hard to say whether Mourinho's shape was a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3. It depended on the positions of Schürrle and Willian.

The reason for this setup was Mourinho's pursuit of pace.

Juan Mata was becoming less and less favored in Mourinho's system.

Mikel, Mata, and Lukaku were now on the bench and in the dressing room.

…

"I spent many years in Spain."

As Mourinho spoke, he raised his right hand slightly, as if introducing himself.

Everyone knew he had a point to make.

"I spent years at Barcelona and almost became their head coach. Later I coached Real Madrid. If I say I am very familiar with Spanish football, I believe no one will object."

Everyone nodded.

There was nothing to object to. He knew it inside out.

"Whether it was my first spell at Chelsea, later at Inter Milan, or at Real Madrid, they always liked to say I was anti-football. What does that mean? It means we were not playing football."

"I have always been disgusted by this talk. If we are not playing football, what are we playing? Volleyball? Table tennis? Badminton? Or, the moon?"

At the end, Mourinho suddenly threw in that line and pointed upward, which made the dressing room erupt in laughter. It was genuinely funny.

"I am puzzled. Why should they get to define football? Can the powerful define what is football and what is anti-football? So if one day we defeat Barcelona and Spain, can we define them as anti-football?"

Everyone nodded again.

The logic was hard to refute.

"To go a step further, many people accuse me of being utilitarian, and I admit that. But I want to say that defense has always been the most important part of football tactics. Even those who oppose me cannot deny the importance of defending."

"The essence of football is scoring and being scored against. That is attack and defense."

"Then what is wrong with our tactics? If we prioritize defense, is that wrong?"

Mourinho paused, took a breath, then continued.

"I think Spanish teams are too obsessed with possession."

"I have seen this kind of possession many times. You know it. Seventy to eighty percent possession, over a thousand passes, but they cannot get into your box or threaten your goal."

"I do not understand what the point of that possession is."

"I think it is more self-congratulation. They will tell you how hard they worked, how diligent they were, how much advantage they had, how much possession they had, how good they were, but that they were unlucky and lost."

"That is nonsense."

"You practiced a thousand penalties before the match, but none of them went in. What is there to be proud of? What gives you the right to say that?"

"Spanish football gives me the feeling of endless overtime. Things that could be done within working hours are dragged out and delayed, forcing overtime. It is a sickness."

"I have never bothered with football like that."

"I always emphasize efficiency and speed."

The dressing room was quiet. Everyone listened in silence.

It sounded less like a pep talk and more like Mourinho speaking from the heart.

He was telling the Chelsea players what he wanted and what he disdained.

"Too many sideways and back passes. No tempo. No big switches. No sudden bursts. Players stop using their individual strengths. No one dares to take risks, like ostriches with their heads in the sand. As long as they do not lose the ball, they think it is fine."

"In their philosophy, as long as the ball is under my control, there will be a moment when you make a mistake."

"They wait forever, like timid cowards."

When Mourinho almost shouted this, the atmosphere clearly shifted.

Everyone's emotions were stirred.

"Real Madrid and Barcelona, and the Spanish national team, have different tactics, but essentially they are the same. Their players are all technically strong and can control the ball against any opponent. They love to have the ball."

"I can assure you that Real Madrid will dominate possession tonight."

There was no doubt Chelsea's players could not match Real Madrid technically.

But that did not mean Chelsea would be easily beaten.

Football has never relied solely on technique. Tactics have never been only about technical combinations.

If that were true, Barcelona would be unbeatable.

"Tonight is an opportunity, a chance to redeem ourselves and all the teams and players like us around the world."

"I hope you give your best on the pitch, burst that bubble, let the world see clearly, and rediscover what football really is."

"We also want to use this match to tell all fans that the football the Spanish play is not the only football. We play football too. We are not anti-football. On the contrary, we are the real football that has stood the test of decades and centuries."

Mourinho grew more animated as he spoke.

The Chelsea players became more and more fired up as they listened, some even shouting along.

"For tonight's match, I have only one request."

"Go out there and beat Real Madrid the way we know how, and prove to the world that we are right."

Chelsea's players suddenly became pumped up, yelling with excitement.

…

From the first minute, Gao Shen realized the challenge.

Real Madrid kicked off, but right after the start, Chelsea's powerful striker Fernando Torres tripped his compatriot Xabi Alonso in the attacking third. He did not get a card, but referee Eriksson gave him a warning.

That already sent a clear signal.

Chelsea's players were fired up.

Gao Shen's opening idea was a quick strike.

He knew Mourinho would defend. If he did not, how could Chelsea go head to head with Real Madrid?

So Gao Shen wanted to seize the initiative, try to score, force Chelsea to push up, then the game would open up.

He did not expect Mourinho to be so committed.

First Torres, then Lampard, then Koulibaly brought Benzema down from behind.

Three consecutive fouls without a card. They were clearly testing the referee's line.

This disrupted Real Madrid's attacking patterns. They could not connect, and the rhythm became messy.

Gao Shen stood on the touchline and saw it clearly, but there was nothing he could do.

He could hardly ask Mourinho to keep a gentleman's agreement and use words instead of force.

As if Mourinho would care.

Despite frequent fouls, Chelsea's defense was tight, and every foul was made in the right area. It made it hard for Real Madrid to find their rhythm, which was lethal.

Real Madrid played awkwardly.

On top of that, Chelsea's three lines stayed very compact, shutting down Real Madrid's penetration.

In the sixth minute, Chelsea suddenly launched a quick counter.

Schürrle used his speed to break away from Arbeloa on the left, drove into the left side of Real Madrid's box, then squared to the penalty spot. Torres arrived, ready to shoot.

At the critical moment, Varane recovered at full speed. He got there before Torres and poked the ball away to the side. Ramos got back in time and controlled it, narrowly averting danger.

Gao Shen called out to Arbeloa from the sideline.

The source of the danger was Arbeloa failing to track Schürrle quickly enough, allowing him to accelerate away.

Fortunately, Torres no longer had his old pace. Otherwise, even Varane might not have stopped him.

But that was Mourinho's plan.

He would sit compactly, wait for Real Madrid to make mistakes under their own initiative, then hit fast on the counter.

Mourinho's trick had proven effective. He almost always used it against the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, or Manchester City.

It was a hard bone to chew.

If you were not careful, you would not only fail to bite it, you might break your own teeth.

Gao Shen signaled Arbeloa to pay attention, and also told Marcos Alonso on the left to keep an eye on Willian.

At the same time, Gao Shen instructed Xabi Alonso and the midfield to drop the overall line a little and not press too high.

If they pressed Chelsea too much, would they not also be squeezing their own attacking space?

After giving his instructions, Gao Shen could only wait.

He wanted to see whether Chelsea's players could execute Mourinho's plan perfectly.

As soon as they made a mistake, Real Madrid would have a chance.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1085: Look at My Four-Wheel Drive Dual Engine

Real Madrid's players circulated the ball.

Shifting from left to right, Di María received and dropped off, then played back to the center back.

The ball went from the right back across to the left, finding Marcos Alonso on the flank.

Chelsea's defensive adjustment was rapid, giving Real Madrid no time to react.

So Marcos Alonso recycled to Xabi Alonso to reorganize.

At that moment, Di María suddenly drifted laterally.

Toni Kroos immediately fed the Argentine, who took the ball on the half-turn and burst forward, then whipped in a quick cross with his left foot.

Modric was at the right edge of the D and, without controlling, slipped the ball into the box.

Benzema used his body to pin Terry and laid it back toward the left side of the penalty spot.

Ronaldo burst into the area at top speed and reached Benzema's pass near the byline, but Chelsea center back Koulibaly reacted quickly and closed him down. By the time the Portuguese reached the ball, he was too close to the byline and had lost the shooting angle.

With no other option, Ronaldo hit it, but Cech saved.

The Czech goalkeeper sprang up and quickly rolled the ball out, signaling a fast break.

Chelsea's counter was sharp, but Real Madrid's recovery was just as quick. They reset into a four-on-three in front of the box, and Oscar's long-range effort flew over the crossbar.

The Blues still failed to register a shot on target.

Mourinho applauded vigorously on the touchline and urged his players on.

That was his plan tonight.

Stabilize the defense, then seize the moment and counter decisively.

He believed the chance to score would come.

…

Gao Shen stood in front of the technical area, arms folded, his left index finger rubbing at his lips.

It was now the 58th minute of the second half.

The score was still 0-0.

As Gao Shen had expected, Mourinho went with a compact defensive block and counters. Although Real Madrid had more of the ball, they could not find an effective way to break Chelsea down.

Mourinho was using the same method he had used against Barcelona to deal with Real Madrid.

So far, Real Madrid had over 70 percent possession, but not many dangerous attacks. Chelsea's defending was very solid.

To an extent, Real Madrid's huge possession advantage had even been forced by Chelsea.

Unable to access Chelsea's defensive third consistently, and wary of counters, Real Madrid's players were circulating the ball frequently on the outside, and the tempo could not rise.

At halftime, Gao Shen had told the players to try to raise the pace, but it had not worked.

Only two days had passed since the match at Camp Nou to reaching Eden Arena. The players were tired and generally not sharp, especially Toni Kroos and Modric in midfield, whose performances were not ideal tonight.

As time ticked by, Gao Shen could almost conclude that if it continued like this, the final score would either be 0-0, or Real Madrid would get caught by a Chelsea counter.

At the moment, scoring against Chelsea looked unlikely.

Unless a star produced a moment of magic.

But Gao Shen never liked to leave his fate to such luck.

Just as he did not like gambling, because he had never had any luck with it.

Thinking of this, Gao Shen glanced at Mourinho and smiled to himself.

This old guy was treating Real Madrid as if they were Barcelona.

But he seemed to have forgotten one thing.

I am not Guardiola.

Did he really think this was all Real Madrid could do?

Watch me add another and switch to four-wheel drive, dual engine.

…

"Paul, warm up. Two minutes, quick."

At assistant coach Carlo's shout, Paul Pogba sprang up from the bench, peeled off his long-sleeved training top, and under his teammates' eyes jogged to the touchline to warm up.

His movement also drew the attention of the nearby fans and Chelsea.

Mourinho noticed Pogba warming up immediately, and his expression darkened.

After a brief hesitation, the Portuguese decided not to react, choosing to wait and see.

Soon, Pogba finished and ran to the technical area to meet Gao Shen.

Gao Shen waved him over.

The French midfielder leaned in obediently.

He was slightly taller than Gao Shen, so he bent down to hear the instructions.

"We are facing a tough opponent and it is a grind. Now I need someone in midfield to help us open the game, raise the tempo, and get the ball to our forwards."

Pogba nodded. He understood.

"Chelsea will try everything to stop us in midfield, but we have no choice. If we cannot open up the attack, the match is over."

"I understand, boss," Pogba said.

"Once you are on, carry the ball more and share the defensive pressure. I will have Modric work with you. You have physical advantages, and I believe you can do it," Gao Shen instructed.

"Do not worry. I know what to do."

Gao Shen patted his shoulder and sent him to the fourth official.

Taking advantage of a stoppage, Real Madrid made their first change.

Pogba replaced Toni Kroos.

It was understandable. The German was off his best and had spent a lot of energy playing two matches in four days.

Gao Shen hugged him and told him to rest.

Pogba's first touch was a neat take, then a pull-back and turn past his man, shaking off Ramires and driving forward on the dribble. His final pass was not ideal and did not create a threat.

Chelsea countered quickly, and the Frenchman also sprinted back diligently.

Gao Shen flashed him a thumbs-up from the sideline, telling him to keep going and not get discouraged.

Pogba is a very smart player. He is physically strong and powerful, yet has delicate technique and clever positioning. He constantly receives in open pockets.

After receiving, Pogba has many options. He is proficient at all of them.

After he came on, Real Madrid's previously stagnant midfield began to come alive.

Mourinho also sensed the danger and made a change, bringing on Mikel for Oscar.

That was a clear signal to strengthen midfield defense.

Chelsea's shape officially shifted to a 4-3-3.

After the adjustment, Chelsea's counters grew more potent.

Gao Shen immediately made a second substitution, replacing Xabi Alonso with Casemiro.

At the same time, he signaled both fullbacks to push a little higher to stretch Chelsea's block.

Because Real Madrid's starting midfield had struggled under Chelsea's aggressive pressure, especially defensively, and because Schürrle and Willian's counters were decisive and quick, Real Madrid's fullbacks had been reluctant to press, which left the wingers isolated up front.

Now, with Casemiro on, he could screen the middle and back line, and the fullbacks could advance with more confidence.

Gao Shen also urged Pogba to push higher and join more in the final third.

By now it was the 70th minute, and the score remained 0-0.

If there was no improvement after these changes, they would be headed for extra time or even penalties.

That was not what Gao Shen wanted.

Real Madrid's schedule was packed and the players had spent a lot of energy.

Extra time would be bad news.

…

After two quick changes, Real Madrid's midfield was indeed revitalized.

But Mourinho was no pushover. He had reinforced the middle as well.

Real Madrid, unlike Barcelona's sleep-inducing safety-first recycling in midfield and defense, used plenty of short and long exchanges, constantly pulling and shifting Chelsea's shape.

Through this mix of long and short passing, they were probing for an opening.

The players were also patiently moving to drag Chelsea around.

Like in the 78th minute.

As Modric carried forward, Di María, off the ball, made a run toward the flank to receive between Terry, Mikel, and Ashley Cole, while Arbeloa overlapped to widen the defense.

Modric had played in the Premier League, so he knew Chelsea's defensive strength. He did not fire the ball straight to Di María's feet because he knew that even if it reached him, Di María would cut inside with little shooting chance. Even if he shot, it would be hard to score.

So he passed to the outside of Di María, forcing the Argentine to receive on the move, while yelling for him to return it to Arbeloa.

The understanding was clear. Seeing Modric's pass, Di María chased it with full trust. After hearing Modric's shout, he took two steps to the right, but instead of playing it to Arbeloa, he sent it straight back to Varane.

He knew that even if he passed to Arbeloa, it would likely go back to the center back anyway.

Varane controlled and took a step to his right.

Chelsea saw Real Madrid had clustered Di María and Arbeloa on the right, with Modric there too, so their block shifted to that side.

Varane paused, turned back, changed direction, and zipped it to Ramos.

As soon as Ramos took the ball, he glanced forward and saw Džeko posting up with his back to goal, pointing to his right.

Ronaldo was near the right touchline, hand raised.

Ramos did not overthink it and pinged a long diagonal to the left side of the attacking third.

Ronaldo brought it down and saw Ivanovic closing, but the Portuguese was ready.

Before Ivanovic arrived, Ronaldo exploded, cut in with the ball, and tried to power past him. Ivanovic tracked him immediately.

Ronaldo is right-footed. As he cut laterally, his right foot was free, and he slid a low pass toward the left side of the area.

Džeko arrived, back to goal, using his body to pin Koulibaly. He cushioned Ronaldo's pass to his left, at the left edge of the D.

A white shirt streaked onto it, met Džeko's layoff, and hit it first time.

(To be continued.)