SWR: Chapter 1043/1045

Chapter 1043: We Will Definitely Win Tonight

In the past, Gao Shen often saw a scene in TV dramas.

A wealthy man would buy a pair of valuable artworks. As soon as he got them, he would smash one to pieces. Then, pointing to the remaining piece with pride, he would say, this is the only one left in the world.

The value of that unique piece would immediately soar several times.

This is, of course, a device of film and television.

But in the European football transfer market, there is a similar logic.

Ordinary fans do not have a complete concept of the transfer market. They often think it is like in a video game, where the head coach fancies a player, the club goes to negotiate, and the transfer is completed at a price acceptable to both parties.

That is not wrong.

But it is only the ideal scenario where everything goes smoothly.

For example, the agent factor, which is widely criticized, is one of the hidden dangers.

As players' market values continue to rise, agents' commissions have gradually become a major problem for clubs.

Manchester United's former chief executive, David Gill, once tried to insert a clause in the Premier League that would require players to cover their own agent fees, instead of the clubs paying them as is currently the case.

Because he found that every time the club worked hard to generate revenue, and every time the Premier League worked hard to negotiate broadcasting rights, the ultimate beneficiaries were the players and their agents.

As a result, the Premier League discovered it was paying tens of millions of pounds in agency fees to intermediaries every season.

Unfortunately, that proposal did not pass.

There are also transfer rumors that many people do not fully understand, although they are no secret in the British football circle.

The BBC once reported that the transfer gossip page is the most visited section on their website every day, without question.

But you have to understand that almost all of that content is rumor and speculation, with no solid evidence. Some are signals fabricated by journalists, agents, or even the players themselves.

More and more people have seen the profit in this space, and more and more media and practitioners are pouring into it.

Fans and readers are immersed in transfer rumors every day, both true and false.

It has become an industry from which countless people benefit, including clubs and players.

Gao Shen once discussed this topic with Wenger, and he still clearly remembers what the Frenchman said.

"Any problem you have in the UK is because someone wants to make you spend money!"

Wenger believes the Premier League's increasingly frenzied transfer activity is changing and overturning the past.

In the summer of 2011, the 20 Premier League clubs spent more than £500 million in total. According to current estimates, by 2016, when the new broadcasting contract expires, Premier League clubs will have spent more than £1 billion in the transfer market.

That is an astronomical figure.

The huge influx of funds also brings more problems.

Wenger once complained about an event in the winter of 2005, at the Royal Park Hotel in London, involving Mourinho, Peter Kenyon, Ashley Cole, agent Jonathan Barnett, super-agent Zahavi, and others.

All parties gathered to discuss Ashley Cole's weekly salary after signing for Chelsea, appearance fees, goal and assist bonuses, title bonuses, off-field requirements, and how he would fit into Mourinho's tactical system.

Everything was discussed except one thing.

"It had only been two and a half years since he signed a five-year contract with us, and we knew nothing about the negotiation."

"Do you know how we found out?"

"A hotel waiter recognized them and served drinks and snacks. According to him, the atmosphere was harmonious and everyone was laughing."

Of course, Chelsea were penalized afterward, and so was Mourinho.

When Wenger brought up the past, he was not whining or complaining. He wanted to make the point that this is a war.

A war for talent.

The situation is far from as peaceful as fans imagine.

Today, there are more than 100,000 active football agents in Europe. Many people only know big names like Mendes and Raiola, but the other hundreds of thousands are like cells in the capillaries, active everywhere.

Often, the same club will receive multiple approaches from agents claiming to represent the same player.

Which is true and which is false?

On the other hand, the same player might be offered to multiple clubs at the same time. What should you do?

Just compete for him.

Suppose, in Wenger's plan, Higuaín and Icardi are his two striker targets this summer. If one is taken by someone else and the other faces competition, what should he do?

Either endure the pain and pay a higher fee, even far above the normal price, or simply do not buy.

But if they do not buy, the team's performance will be affected. Not only will the club suffer more losses, but the head coach's position may become unstable.

Even the management will feel the pressure from fans.

In this situation, how should the head coach and the club's hierarchy choose?

Gao Shen knows better than anyone how this game is played.

Not only him, but Lucas and Borrell as well, because they have both been through it.

This is the rule of the game in European football today. If you cannot play it, you will either be eliminated or become the one being fleeced.

Many people think Wenger and Ferguson are old and can no longer keep up with the times.

But what is the reality?

It is not that they are old. It is that they do not want to play that way.

Wenger and Ferguson both adhere to a traditional and simple principle in the transfer market. They will never sacrifice the club's interests, or force the club into a desperate situation, for the sake of a single player.

So they refuse to be coerced.

But this can make them seem slow to react.

When Alex Song transferred to Barcelona last summer, Wenger said something helplessly.

"Agents all know that we do not have the financial resources of other clubs, so many times we are forced to sell players."

This was the case with Henry, Van Persie, and Fàbregas, and it was the same with Alex Song.

The transfer market is a world full of deception and dirty tricks. It is also fickle and full of mind games.

In such a jungle, where the strong prey on the weak and the situation is treacherous, you can never rush. You must always be fully prepared and wait for the best moment.

This is the survival code Gao Shen has ingrained in Su Qing, Fernando Lucas, and Rodolfo Borrell since the day he bought Leeds United.

…

On the morning of the final, everything proceeded according to plan, with the evening's match as the target.

There was a detailed schedule from wake-up to meals to rest.

Real Madrid even had a set menu for what the players ate and drank. All ingredients were airlifted from Madrid, and the chefs were also brought from Spain by the club.

In short, there was only one purpose, to ensure that Real Madrid's players would be in the best possible condition for tonight's Champions League final at Wembley.

In the morning, Real Madrid held their final tactical meeting, focused on tonight's game.

It provided in-depth analysis of Bayern Munich's tactics and offered targeted instructions.

Real Madrid had already rehearsed the specific approach during the past few days of training. The key now was execution on the pitch.

While Real Madrid were thinking about how to contain Bayern, Bayern were also planning how to target Real Madrid.

Whose plan would prevail would be decided on the field.

There was one thing Gao Shen was very confident about.

"Do not worry about what the opponent thinks or how they will play. We just need to be ourselves, play to our strengths, and show our unique identity, and we will be fine."

What are Real Madrid's strengths and characteristics?

Attacking with both wings, plus large switches of play.

One could say that after Marcelo's return, Real Madrid's two-wing attack has become a nightmare for Europe's elite.

The big switches have also given every opponent headaches.

Real Madrid just happens to have the players to do it, and the ability to execute it.

Gao Shen was absolutely right. As long as Real Madrid played to their strengths, nobody could stop their attack.

"I have great confidence in you, and I hope you have confidence in me."

"We will definitely win tonight."

…

At noon, Real Madrid welcomed several groups of visitors.

At the invitation of the UEFA President, leaders from both participating countries would attend the final, such as Spain's King Juan Carlos and members of the royal family, as well as the Spanish Prime Minister and the German Chancellor.

At the same time, the host nation, the United Kingdom, would send members of the royal family as representatives, and the British Prime Minister would accompany them.

Juan Carlos and the Spanish Prime Minister came to Real Madrid's hotel to meet Gao Shen and the players. They specifically asked Gao Shen about his confidence, especially the King.

After receiving Gao Shen's affirmative answer, he never mentioned abdicating, which left Gao Shen somewhat deflated.

How long would it take for his wish to unify the European continent to be realized?

In addition, many European political and business figures, as well as football legends, gathered at Wembley.

Every Champions League final is a star-studded event that draws global attention.

This season would be no exception.

What really surprised Gao Shen was that Ferguson, Wenger, and Mourinho all sent messages and called to say they would attend the final, and many other coaches would show up as well.

This was not only the Champions League final, but a top-level tactical feast. For head coaches, it was a rare chance to observe.

You know, Gao Shen has led tactical trends in world football for years. Even his disciples, such as Guardiola, Klopp, Tuchel, Sarri, and Pochettino, have all made their names in Europe.

Naturally, this draws more people in pursuit of advanced tactics.

How could they miss such a final?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1044: Blame Benzema

Welcome to the Champions League final again!

The game starts in five seconds, please be ready!

Five, four, three, two, one!

The entire team attacks!

…

As the Italian referee Rizzoli blew the whistle, before the Bayern players could react, they saw the Real Madrid players in white shirts surging forward at speed.

Almost all the Bayern players were stunned.

Who is launching an all-out attack here?

We were the ones kicking off, okay?

But the Real Madrid players clearly did not care. Led by the front trident of Ronaldo, Benzema, and Di María, followed by midfielders Toni Kroos, Modrić, and Xabi Alonso, plus the back line of Marcelo, Ramos, Pepe, and Carvajal.

Except for goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who stayed in the penalty area, all three lines of Real Madrid pressed into Bayern's half.

Real Madrid's aggressive approach forced the Bayern players to retreat and pass back under pressure.

As soon as veteran goalkeeper Butt took a touch, he saw that Real Madrid's front three had already pushed up to the back line. Butt stopped the ball to his left but found no passing lane, froze, then dribbled to the right, but still had no outlet.

Real Madrid players were swarming around him. How could he pass?

After a brief hesitation, Butt went long with a big clearance.

The ball reached the front, Mandzukic judged the flight, used his body to hold off Ramos, and headed it down, but Real Madrid claimed the second ball quickly, with Xabi Alonso sweeping it to the left.

Marcelo controlled it and drove forward.

After crossing the halfway line, Ronaldo came over to combine on the left.

But the Real Madrid attack did not threaten, the ball entered the box and was claimed by Butt.

The Bayern keeper released it quickly, but Real Madrid immediately counter-pressed.

"The match has begun."

"Both teams have started at a high tempo. No probing, straight into top gear."

"Both sides came prepared."

By comparison, Bayern leaned more toward defending, while Real Madrid took the initiative, trying to pin Bayern back in their own half.

Real Madrid's press remained a significant threat to Bayern.

The Bundesliga champions were not used to Real Madrid's aggressive high press, especially the targeted pressing.

Gao Shen's trident had a clear division of labor tonight.

Ronaldo was tasked with pinning Lahm.

In the past, after Guardiola took over Bayern, he was not used to using Schweinsteiger as a number four and once played Lahm there. The reason was simple. Lahm's strengths were not only his passing and technique.

More importantly, his vision and positioning.

These two outstanding qualities, added to his excellent passing and technique, made Lahm a Guardiola favorite.

Because of this, Lahm's role in this Bayern was extraordinary, especially his combination with right winger Thomas Müller, which was key to Bayern reaching the final.

Gao Shen used Ronaldo to pin Lahm and Di María to pin Alaba, preventing Bayern's fullbacks from joining the attack effectively and forcing them to focus on defending.

In the middle, Benzema stopped harassing the two center backs and instead focused on Schweinsteiger.

Under pressure from Benzema, Schweinsteiger dropped even deeper, both to support the center backs and to try to lose Benzema and receive. But with Benzema's constant attention, and Real Madrid's midfield squeezing, Bayern failed to progress the ball effectively.

Simply put, Bayern struggled to play through midfield.

It was either recycling it across the back or hitting long.

And the efficiency of long balls to the front is self-evident.

Real Madrid's plan for Bayern's front three was still about cutting off supply.

Carvajal tracked Ribéry and defended him one on one, Pepe and Ramos handled center forward Mandzukic, Marcelo contained Thomas Müller, while Xabi Alonso, Toni Kroos, and Modrić shielded the defense.

From the bird's-eye view on the broadcast, you could see that when Real Madrid pressed high, the lines were very compact. The three midfielders were practically in a line, building a wall in front of the back four.

With Real Madrid so compact from front to back, Bayern struggled to find usable space and naturally found it difficult to pass forward.

There was another point Gao Shen had not mentioned to Wenger yesterday. Besides their defense being a weakness, Bayern also had an issue with pace.

In the past, Robben did not only provide Bayern with right-sided threat. He also brought speed the rest of the team lacked.

Now Robben was gone, and the burden of progressing the ball fell entirely on Ribéry.

But everyone knew that at 30, and after injuries, Ribéry was no longer as fast as before.

With that in mind, when Gao Shen used the younger, quicker, more agile Carvajal to mark him, the French winger had no way through.

Ribéry was tightly marked, and the fullbacks were pinned by Real Madrid's wingers and dared not join the attack rashly. How could Bayern advance?

The answer was, they could not.

By contrast, Real Madrid had speed, power, and technique.

Vidal tried to press Xabi Alonso, but Kroos and Modrić stayed close to the Spaniard, so Vidal could not disrupt Real Madrid's midfield trio on his own.

Once they recovered the ball, Real Madrid combined smoothly and advanced quickly.

Both sides' lineups and initial tactics were obvious from the opening, with no secrets.

You could see the effect too.

The best example came in the third minute.

After receiving from Alaba, Ribéry faced Carvajal near the left touchline close to halfway, trying to beat him one on one. Carvajal stuck to him, used his body to win the duel, then stepped in decisively to nick the ball.

The French winger lost balance and fell to the turf, drawing a roar from Wembley.

But referee Rizzoli signaled no foul, a clean tackle.

Real Madrid's right back fed Di María ahead of him, then sprinted up the right flank.

The players in the middle and on the left surged forward too.

Di María laid it back to the right and accelerated.

Carvajal, without taking a touch, played into the space for Modrić.

Seeing Di María's run, the Croatian immediately clipped a right-footed ball over the top, sending it to the right side of the final third.

Di María tore away at top speed, getting in front of Alaba, cushioning with his left and bringing it under control.

Alaba recovered quickly, cutting off the route to the byline and into the area, while Schweinsteiger also dropped into the right corner of the box to help, trying to block the cut inside.

The Argentine was bold and silky, driving at Alaba step by step. He first feinted to the byline, then suddenly dragged it back. As Schweinsteiger arrived to help, he rolled it with his left to evade the lunge, then scooped a lobbed pass from the right side of the area.

Di María's lob dropped into the center of the box, just outside the penalty spot.

Benzema had just reached the spot. Seeing that Di María did not go to the byline but pulled it back, he immediately pivoted, swung his right leg, and cushioned the dropping ball with the inside of his foot.

The French striker's touch was excellent. Though hurried, he brought it under control.

By then, Dante had left Alaba and Schweinsteiger to it on the right and turned to double Benzema with Van Buyten.

Van Buyten stepped in, used his body to block Benzema, and prevented him from turning.

Lahm was to Benzema's left, forming a triangle with Van Buyten, and cutting off the lane between Benzema and Ronaldo.

Freeze the frame here and you would see Benzema almost trapped on all sides.

Gustavo was recovering from the D, Lahm to the left, Dante to the right, and Van Buyten behind.

The French striker was surrounded.

Even a slightly heavy touch would have been lost.

But the ability of a top player shows in such details. He could still bring it under control in that pocket.

After the touch, Benzema feinted a turn to his left.

Everyone knew he was right-footed. If he turned and shot, it would be dangerous.

That immediately panicked Van Buyten and Dante, who converged from both sides to block the turn.

At that critical moment, nobody expected Benzema to cushion with his right, then poke it behind him again.

The ball seemed obedient, sliding through the gap between Van Buyten and Lahm, dropping into the space behind them.

At this moment, Van Buyten's biggest regret was charging out.

If he had held his position, Benzema's pass would have gone straight to him.

Now he had vacated it.

It was all that damn Benzema's fault.

Ronaldo had been next to Lahm. When he saw Benzema about to turn, he wanted to dart in to pounce on any rebound in front of goal.

He knew that Benzema would put his laces through it. From that range, it is hard to hold, it would likely spill or be parried out by the goalkeeper.

Then he would have a chance.

But he did not expect Benzema to slip a backheel pass.

When the ball slid between Van Buyten and Lahm, Ronaldo froze for a split second, then reacted faster than anyone. He reached out his left foot almost reflexively to bring it under control, then quickly adjusted his balance.

Van Buyten is big and strong, but slow to turn. Lahm's reactions are quick, but his back had been to Ronaldo, and he needed to turn and cover a few steps. As a result, after Ronaldo adjusted his center of gravity, his right-footed stance was a little awkward, but he still got a shot away from the right of the penalty spot without pressure.

Goalkeeper Butt reacted instinctively and flung himself across.

But it was too late.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1045: Excellent Start

There is no perfect team in this world, but that does not stop everyone from striving for perfection.

Just like Heynckes's Bayern.

There is a relatively obvious loophole in their back line, and that is Van Buyten.

At nearly two meters tall, his movement and turning are slow, which has become a weak point in Bayern's defense.

But not every team has the ability to exploit it.

Bayern themselves are well aware of this, so Heynckes did everything possible to cover it up.

For example, when building the defensive system, he reduced the number of direct attacks on the back line through covering and expanding the defensive zone, to prevent Van Buyten's shortcomings from being exposed.

Therefore, in the vast majority of matches, and perhaps throughout an entire season, Bayern's defense is impregnable.

The center back partnership of Van Buyten and Dante is excellent.

But in a particular game, at a particular moment, his problem might be exposed and seized upon by the opponent.

That becomes a goal conceded.

The stronger the opponent, the more likely they are to exploit Bayern's weakness.

From a probability perspective, the further Bayern go in the Champions League, the stronger the opponents they face, and the more likely this is to be exposed.

Especially in the Champions League final.

When Benzema used a deft, unexpected touch to slip the ball past Van Buyten, no matter how long from now, anyone watching the goal, especially in slow motion, would find it incredible.

My God, why could Van Buyten not stop that ball?

It looked like all it took was a stretched leg to cut it out.

How did Van Buyten start and help Bayern reach the final?

But at this moment at Wembley, Benzema's pass had slipped through.

Ronaldo's shot flew into the left side of Bayern's goal.

Although goalkeeper Butt did his best to save, he was too late.

…

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!"

"Just over three minutes in, Real Madrid score against Bayern!"

"My God, this is unbelievable."

"Real Madrid's attacking efficiency is terrifying. Their first real threat goes straight in. A dream start."

"A wonderful combination from Real Madrid's front three. Di María clipped a diagonal ball with his left from the right, Benzema took it with his back to goal, then slipped it to Ronaldo arriving behind. The Portuguese finished it."

"1-0!"

"Real Madrid off to a flying start!"

…

Gao Shen had already tensed every muscle the moment Ronaldo struck it.

When he saw the ball hit the net, he could not help but throw both arms up and roar.

"Wow!"

He charged to the edge of the technical area, startling the fourth official, who thought he was about to run out and moved to stop him. Gao Shen turned quickly and sprinted to the bench, hugging Zidane, Carlo, Hierro, and the rest, who had long since leapt to their feet.

Even the Real Madrid substitutes rushed out.

What a start.

"Your plan worked again!" Zidane was convinced.

He did not mean that Gao Shen had instructed Benzema exactly how to pass, but that before the match, Gao Shen had specifically reminded Benzema of Van Buyten's obvious weakness. He also had Carlos Vargas prepare a video for Benzema, compiling all of Van Buyten's errors or defensive issues from the past two years.

No one knows whether Benzema drew directly from it, but his handling of Di María's pass right after kickoff was superb.

The true hero of this goal was Benzema.

But the mastermind was Gao Shen.

Not only Zidane, Carlo, and Hierro, but the other coaches and players looked at Gao Shen differently, because they all realized that his opening attacking plan had worked again.

"I said we would let Bayern taste our firepower!"

With that, Gao Shen strode back to the touchline and shouted to the Real Madrid players returning from their celebrations, especially Xabi Alonso and the others, signaling them to keep Bayern under pressure.

Push together and go for the win.

…

Play resumed.

Real Madrid continued to press Bayern, especially around halfway.

Bayern were frustrated to find that, while Real Madrid's three midfielders were technical players, their shape was so tight that Bayern could not hold the ball. Schweinsteiger in the middle could not get free, and Lahm, coming in from the right, could not either.

Under Ronaldo's relentless pressure, Lahm was forced to dribble sideways and then played it to Alaba on the left.

But as soon as Alaba took his first touch, Di María was already at him, forcing Bayern's left back to recycle quickly.

Back it went to the center back.

Dante launched a long pass, trying to find Mandžukić up top.

The Croatian striker used his body to pin Pepe, nodded it back to Ribéry.

Under pressure from Carvajal, Ribéry immediately returned it to Schweinsteiger.

The German carried it forward but was instantly tracked by Modrić. As he dribbled diagonally inside, he wanted to play it into Vidal, but Xabi Alonso stepped in first.

The Spaniard hit a long diagonal, sending it to the left in the attacking third.

Benzema pulled wide and chased Xabi Alonso's pass, but Van Buyten got there first and poked it into touch.

Real Madrid took the throw quickly, but Bayern won it back.

Upon losing it, Real Madrid counter-pressed high and immediately regained possession.

Interestingly, it was Toni Kroos who nicked it from Schweinsteiger.

This time, Kroos laid it back to Xabi Alonso, who switched to the left. Marcelo drove forward, burst past Lahm, and whipped a cross from the byline, but Ronaldo in the box was a step late and could not reach it.

The end-to-end tempo was relentless.

But Real Madrid had more of the attacking play.

Bayern's midfield struggled badly in possession.

Especially with Schweinsteiger contained and Ribéry tied down, Bayern could only look long.

The clearest example came in the tenth minute, when Bayern launched another long ball toward Mandžukić.

The Croatian won the first contact again and set it for Thomas Müller. Under pressure from Ramos, Müller tried to scoop a return toward Mandžukić on the right of the six-yard box, but Iker Casillas came off his line decisively and claimed it.

With the ball in his hands, Iker quickly released Marcelo.

Real Madrid countered immediately.

After a flurry of midfield passes, the ball was worked forward quickly. Benzema again received with his back to goal, this time laying it to Di María.

The Argentine cut inside and struck with his left, but it sailed high.

"That is the problem Bayern are facing at the moment."

"They cannot break through Real Madrid's block, and they are struggling even to create shooting chances."

"But Real Madrid can generate danger quickly through their midfield superiority and the individual quality of their front line."

"Heynckes knows very well that when Real Madrid press high, there is space left behind. If Bayern can play into that area, they will threaten."

"Real Madrid are fully aware of this themselves, and they have not allowed Bayern such an opportunity."

"In terms of attacking in the final third, Real Madrid have been better, especially in the two half-spaces."

Less than three minutes later, Bayern made another passing error in midfield.

Dante tried to play directly into Vidal, but Toni Kroos intercepted.

Real Madrid sprang forward immediately.

When Benzema fed Ronaldo, the Portuguese unleashed a shot from 25 meters, and it was of high quality.

Bayern keeper Butt flew to tip it wide for a corner.

A wave of gasps swept through the stands from Bayern fans who had just escaped.

"Shots like that are very dangerous."

"Bayern must change this trend quickly, or they will concede again sooner or later."

"The Bundesliga giants are struggling to move the ball across halfway."

A few minutes later, another midfield turnover led to Di María sliding a through ball to Benzema, who brought it down and spun on the edge of the box, but fired over.

After 20 minutes, Bayern gradually realized the problem.

Heynckes adjusted on the touchline, signaling his players to press higher to threaten Real Madrid's midfield and back line.

Obviously, the German coach knew that staying passive was slow suicide.

As Bayern increased their pressure upfield, it started to work.

Heynckes's Bayern are no pushovers, especially when pressing across the pitch. The players are fully committed.

Ribéry went down in a duel with Carvajal high on the left. Rizzoli signaled a handball by Carvajal, giving Bayern a free kick on the left side of the attacking third.

Bayern took it quickly. Ribéry laid it down the line, David Alaba swung a left-footed cross into the middle, Mandžukić met it with a header, but Iker tipped it over the bar.

That was Bayern's first shot of the match.

Bayern fans rose to applaud.

"After the adjustment, Bayern's attack is improving. Heynckes's in-game management has always been excellent."

"Here comes the corner."

To a chorus of gasps, Van Buyten's header went just over.

Gao Shen noticed the shift from the touchline and immediately walked to the edge, shouting instructions to his players to drop off a little.

The early advantage from the opening blitz had faded. The easy moments were over.

Next, focus on controlling the ball.

If Bayern want to press, then let them.

Real Madrid are not only good at high pressing. They can keep the ball too.

Let them taste Real Madrid's version of tiki-taka.

(To be continued.)