SWR: Chapter 1027/1029

Chapter 1027: Find Atletico Madrid's venue

On April 26, Atletico Madrid's 110th anniversary celebration was held at the Calderon Stadium.

All Atletico Madrid legends, players, and guests gathered together to witness the birthday of this historic club through a grand celebration, while also looking forward to the Madrid derby the following day.

On the evening of the 27th, the second Madrid derby of the season would take place at the Calderon Stadium.

No one knew whether this was deliberately arranged by the Spanish Football Association, but for Atletico Madrid, it was undoubtedly a match of special significance.

They wanted to end their embarrassing record against Real Madrid and claim victory in the league on this special day.

As former chairman Hill once said: As long as they beat Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid will do whatever it takes, even if it means relegation.

From the very moment of their birth, the Colchoneros carried the historical mission of fighting against Real Madrid.

More importantly, this season, Atletico Madrid gave people genuine hope.

After producing stars such as Torres and Aguero, Atletico Madrid now welcomed the new generation striker, Falcao.

The Colombian forward was the most prolific goalscorer in Spanish football this season besides Messi and Ronaldo. He was also seen as the beacon of Atletico Madrid's resurgence.

Alongside him, a group of players in their prime such as Diego Costa, Koke, Miranda, and Godin also gave fans belief in their rise.

Simeone's team did not disappoint expectations. In this La Liga season, they had firmly secured third place in the league, establishing themselves as the third-strongest team after Barcelona and Real Madrid.

This Madrid derby could be described as the fiercest in years.

Coinciding with the 110th anniversary, it made the match atmosphere even more intense.

In such circumstances, Atletico Madrid threw everything into the game, with every player fighting desperately.

Real Madrid had just traveled a long distance for an away match against Paris Saint-Germain, giving the Colchoneros extra rest. At the same time, Gao Shen's team faced the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Bernabeu in a week, forcing him to rotate his squad.

As a result, just over three minutes into the game at the Calderon Stadium, Falcao scored for Atletico Madrid.

It came from a frontcourt free kick.

Casemiro fouled his Brazilian compatriot Diego Costa, giving Atletico a set-piece. Koke's shot was saved, Godin crossed the rebound, and Falcao headed the ball into the net.

After that, Real Madrid could not gain much advantage over Atletico on the pitch.

Simeone's 4-4-2 formation and Atletico Madrid's relentless pressing completely disrupted Real Madrid's rhythm and passing game.

Casemiro dropping back with Isco and Verratti in midfield lost control under Atletico's suffocating pressure.

Up front, the trident of Morata, Higuain, and Jese failed to create any real chances.

Even in the second half, Real Madrid not only failed to turn the situation around but instead allowed Atletico Madrid to create chance after chance.

Fortunately, goalkeeper Courtois was in top form, making two crucial one-on-one saves in the 49th and 56th minutes.

The entire Calderon Stadium became a stage for Atletico fans to celebrate.

They already seemed to see Atletico Madrid defeating their arrogant city rivals at the Calderon on their 110th birthday.

What better gift could there be?

…

Gao Shen stood by the visiting team's bench with a serious look on his face.

In the 60th minute, he made his first substitution, replacing Isco with Kaka.

The young Spaniard lacked composure. His dribbling, usually his strength, was ineffective against Atletico's rough fouls, disrupting Real Madrid's attacking rhythm.

He was either too sticky with the ball or too reckless, leading to mistakes.

But after Kaka came on, the situation still did not change much.

"Atletico Madrid's style of play looks a bit like when you were in Naples," Zidane said with a wry smile.

When Gao Shen coached Napoli and shocked Europe, Zidane knew better than anyone how disruptive that style was.

At the time, Napoli played in a way that had similarities with today's Atletico Madrid.

Of course, the tactical details were not the same, but the resemblance was clear.

Back then, Gao Shen's Napoli also gave Italy's top teams plenty of headaches.

Now, Simeone was doing the same.

"Come on!" Gao Shen frowned. "Back then I had technical players like Biglia, Rakitic, and Hamsik. Look at Atletico Madrid now."

Gabi, Mario Suarez, Raul Garcia, Diego Costa.

The only one who could be called technical was Gabi, who was also Atletico's captain.

Atletico's biggest weakness tonight was actually on the left.

In Gao Shen's previous life, Atletico's defense had been rock solid with Felipe Luis on the left.

But now, Felipe Luis was at Manchester City, not Atletico Madrid.

Simeone's left-back tonight was his fellow Argentine Insua.

Gao Shen tried several times to target that flank with Jese and Higuain, but the results were poor.

Time ticked by, and Real Madrid's situation remained difficult.

Still, Gao Shen insisted they keep attacking Atletico's left and focus on pressing Gabi.

With that in mind, he turned toward the bench and signaled Di Maria to warm up.

The Argentine quickly ran out to get ready.

Soon, he returned to Gao Shen's side.

"After you go on, work with Kaka to pressure Gabi and Mario Suarez, especially Gabi. Tell Arbeloa to keep an eye on Koke and block forward passes."

Di Maria nodded. "Got it."

"When defending, drop deeper and move inside, so Verratti can stay closer to Casemiro."

"Alright."

Formations exist more for fans to understand tactics and player roles.

Once the game starts, no team follows a rigid formation diagram for long.

Players constantly move, and the team shape is fluid.

Just like Gao Shen told Di Maria to drop deeper when defending, the goal was to clamp down on Gabi.

As for Insua, he could push forward if he wanted. Gao Shen was hoping Suya would pin him back.

"Tell Higuain to attack the flanks more, especially the gap between Insua and Miranda."

"Understood," Di Maria replied.

He was a smart player who trusted Gao Shen's instructions completely.

…

Soon, Di Maria came on, replacing the young Jese, carrying Gao Shen's tactical adjustments.

The rising star who had impressed this season hit a wall against Atletico tonight.

But in Gao Shen's eyes, this was not entirely bad.

Jese was arrogant, and a setback could ignite his fighting spirit.

Of course, the blow must not be too heavy, or it could break his confidence.

Finding that balance was also part of a head coach's job.

After one defensive play, Morata fouled Raul Garcia while winning the ball and was shown a yellow card.

The young striker looked frustrated but could only accept it.

Taking advantage of the stoppage, Di Maria replaced Jese.

Real Madrid made their adjustment.

On the touchline, Gao Shen greeted Jese as he came off.

"Well done, Jese, you gave it your all."

"Juanfran played dirty," Jese complained angrily. "And the referee is totally biased for them."

"I know, I know. Don't worry. I'll have someone speak to the officials after the match, and we'll get you justice," Gao Shen reassured him. "For now, go rest and cheer on your teammates."

Jese nodded reluctantly.

But in reality, Gao Shen would never confront the referee.

This was Atletico's home, their 110th anniversary. Of course, the officiating leaned toward them.

Making a fuss would gain nothing and might even backfire.

In cases like this, from the Football Association to the referees, everyone would give Atletico some leeway.

Gao Shen even suspected Atletico had lobbied to arrange the derby on their anniversary.

It was not impossible. Tonight, Atletico played like they had been injected with adrenaline.

Jese was still too young to understand.

But this game still had to be taken back.

…

The match resumed.

At first, not much seemed to change.

But once Di Maria entered, Real Madrid's right-wing attack finally came alive.

From his touches and link-up play, it was clear he had matured.

If Jese was only charging forward blindly, then Di Maria was playing smarter and more complete. He could drive forward, but also drop deep to organize play.

Under Gao Shen's coaching, in just half a year, he had grown into a world-class attacker.

Now, no one doubted Di Maria's quality.

In the 77th minute, Atletico intercepted the ball and launched a quick counter.

Godin passed forward to Falcao, who had dropped deep.

Marcos Alonso followed him closely, staying tight behind the Colombian striker.

But Falcao had no intention of dribbling. He immediately laid the ball back to Gabi and turned to sprint forward.

Because Kaka had blocked the nearest passing lane, Falcao's return went slightly wide to Gabi's left, close to Real Madrid's right side.

Gabi accelerated to meet the ball, taking his first touch.

But just as he did, a white shirt suddenly closed in at speed.

The Atletico captain was startled. He glanced quickly. Verratti was still ahead, Kaka to the side. Passing backwards?

Before he could react, the man had already surged past faster than expected and poked the ball away.

The entire Calderon erupted in shock.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1028: No Draw

Di Maria!

When Di Maria intercepted the ball from Gabi, quickly evaded the Atletico captain, and sprinted forward, the entire Calderon Stadium erupted in screams.

Higuain, ahead of him, immediately dropped back to receive the ball, then turned and sprinted into the right channel.

Kaka also pushed forward from behind Di Maria, while Morata advanced through the left channel. Real Madrid launched a rapid counterattack in the final third, forming two attacking waves.

Mario Suarez was tied up by Kaka's movement and had no time to close down Di Maria.

The Argentine drove the ball to the edge of Atletico's penalty area, where Miranda and Godin finally had nowhere left to retreat.

Miranda stepped up decisively to block him, but Di Maria calmly swept a left-footed pass into the right side of the penalty box.

Higuain arrived and struck the ball first time without hesitation.

The ball flew directly into the net, piercing Atletico Madrid's goal.

The Calderon was still echoing with screams, but Real Madrid had already leveled the score.

"Goallllllllllllllllllll!"

"Real Madrid! Real Madrid score!"

"Di Maria assists Higuain for the equalizer!"

"Real Madrid make it 1-1!"

The live broadcast camera cut to the stands at the Calderon, capturing the disappointment etched on the faces of Atletico Madrid supporters.

Then the shot moved to the visiting team's bench. Gao Shen was still standing firmly on the touchline, as composed as ever.

He looked like a man in a suit and tie ready for battle.

"Gao Shen more and more carries the aura of a great general. Hard to believe he's only in his early thirties."

"But he's already a legendary coach with four Champions League titles."

"It's worth noting, Gao Shen's very first match as a coach was against Atletico Madrid."

"These two Madrid clubs share a long and heated rivalry filled with grudges."

"Tonight, on Atletico's 110th anniversary, a draw might look like a fair result."

…

A draw?

Gao Shen did not see it that way.

After Higuain's goal, as Real Madrid players came back from the sidelines celebrating, Gao Shen called over Ramos, Kaka, and a few others, instructing them to keep attacking.

Real Madrid would never settle for a draw.

It was only the 33rd round of La Liga, and they still trailed Barcelona by one point. Under these circumstances, they had to go all out to win every game if they wanted to turn the title race around.

Barcelona's Champions League form this season was shaky, but in La Liga they were ruthless against weaker teams.

The return of Vilanova and Abidal had given them a major boost in spirit.

Sometimes, football works that way.

If Real Madrid dropped points now, their title hopes could collapse.

Even more, losing momentum in the league would spill into the Champions League.

And what about the Copa del Rey final against Atletico Madrid, potentially held at the Calderon? Could they really expect to win the trophy then?

Gao Shen knew this was about more than one league match. It was about the Champions League, the Copa del Rey, and psychological supremacy over Atletico Madrid going forward.

Failing to win would deal a heavy blow.

So there was no hesitation: keep attacking!

…

Simeone also sensed the danger and made swift changes.

Adrian replaced Raul Garcia, and Cristian Rodriguez came on for Mario Suarez.

Two substitutions in quick succession. It was clear the Atletico boss wanted to go head-to-head with Real Madrid.

Simeone's stance was obvious.

He would not accept a draw either.

It would be win or lose.

The match turned into a battle.

Gao Shen could feel Atletico's transformation under Simeone more than anyone. Since his arrival, the spirit of Atletico had changed drastically, along with their entire playing philosophy.

The Colchoneros had never been elegant or refined, but under Simeone they became an iron-blooded army, infused with a steel-like will and relentless fighting spirit.

At the same time, their play was rough and extremely aggressive.

As Jese said when he came off, it was dirty.

But that was Atletico's way of survival.

For teams like Atletico and Dortmund, tactics and style existed to compensate for their lack of technical superiority.

Football is fair.

The rules are the same for everyone, and any tactics within them are allowed.

Calls to "protect technical geniuses" sounded nice, but if taken literally, Messi would be unstoppable.

"Atletico Madrid is actually more dangerous than Barcelona," Gao Shen muttered as he returned to the bench, frowning.

Hierro, Zidane, and the others nodded.

Under Simeone, Atletico's style was a nightmare to deal with.

By comparison, Barcelona were easier.

What made Atletico especially troublesome was their players.

Falcao was strong, but Diego Costa was even trickier.

In this game, Falcao often dropped deep, while Diego Costa stayed high, constantly harassing Varane and Ramos.

Gao Shen never forgot the moment that defined Diego Costa's style. Against Barcelona in his previous life, he competed for a header with Pique. Pique leaned into him, shifting his weight to gain an advantage, a common defender's trick.

But Costa, sly as ever, simply pulled away, leaving Pique off balance.

The result? Pique fell awkwardly, injured himself, and left the field.

That scene summed up Costa perfectly.

Situations like that happen in a split second. To think and react so quickly proved just how cunning and instinctive Costa was.

Before this game, Gao Shen had repeatedly warned Varane and Ramos to be cautious.

Do not take the bait.

Costa was the perfect embodiment of Simeone's footballing philosophy. Both carried a bandit's spirit.

…

When Atletico pushed forward past midfield again, Real Madrid intercepted.

After the 80th minute, Real Madrid stopped pressing too aggressively.

On one side, Simeone's changes had boosted Atletico's attack, increasing the pressure.

On the other, Gao Shen never believed in Barcelona's approach of pinning opponents deep in their half.

To him, it helped maintain possession but made breaking down defenses harder.

Pushing the opponent back too far only allowed them to consolidate, which was not good for attacking.

His philosophy was to leave space, let the opponent advance, and then hit them with counters.

As he often said, a punch is stronger when you first pull the fist back.

That was exactly how he approached Atletico.

Koke tried to bring the ball across the halfway line but was dispossessed.

Casemiro, under pressure, laid it back to Ramos.

The center-back launched a long pass toward Morata.

Morata battled with Juanfran and won the header, knocking it down to Higuain.

Atletico's defense quickly dropped back. Godin and Miranda were well-positioned. Higuain controlled, shielded with his back to goal, and laid it off to Kaka.

Atletico's midfielders swarmed Kaka, but the Brazilian slipped it across to Verratti in space.

Verratti carried the ball forward. Spotting Di Maria retreating to drag Insua out of position, he threaded a pass through the gap between Miranda and Insua.

The ball slid straight into Atletico's penalty area.

Di Maria stopped suddenly, spun, and burst past Insua with a visible speed advantage, leaving his compatriot behind.

The winger raced onto Verratti's ball on the right side of the box, driving into the penalty area.

Asenjo stayed near the six-yard box, guarding against Di Maria.

The Argentine knew exactly what the keeper expected. He paused slightly, making everyone think he was about to shoot. But instead, he feinted and nudged a half-dribble, half-shot with his left foot, sliding the ball past Asenjo into the net.

The keeper was caught by the hesitation, unable to reset his balance. He could only watch helplessly as the ball kissed the inside of the left post and rolled into the goal.

"Goallllllllllllllllllll!"

"Di Maria!"

"In the 86th minute, Di Maria scores with a solo run to break Atletico again!"

"The crucial substitution delivers magic once more. An assist and now a goal from Di Maria, Real Madrid have turned it around!"

"Atletico's left side has been completely dismantled by Di Maria!"

"This is the power of a world-class star!"

"For more than an hour, Jese could not provide any threat from the right. But since Di Maria came on, he has single-handedly transformed the attack."

"Insua had no answer in this one-on-one with Di Maria!"

"2-1!"

"Gao Shen's second-half substitution once again rescues Real Madrid!"

After scoring, Di Maria sprinted toward the corner, formed a heart with his hands, and celebrated wildly.

Gao Shen also raised his fist in celebration, but he did not forget to glance at Jese, who was jumping excitedly on the bench.

Whether Jese truly understood the gap between himself and Di Maria, let alone Ronaldo, Gao Shen did not know.

But as a head coach, there was only so much he could do. The rest depended on the players themselves.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 1029: Barcelona, please make a mistake

It was already three in the morning when they returned to Valdebebas from the Calderon Stadium.

After dismissing the squad, the coaching staff had to stay behind for another meeting.

This was standard whenever there were two games in one week.

Gao Shen and his assistants had to quickly finalize plans for the morning recovery session and the afternoon training.

There was no time to waste. They were racing against the clock.

After playing Atletico Madrid, they would immediately face Paris Saint-Germain at the Bernabeu.

That old fox Ancelotti was never simple. Give him a bit of space and he would find a way to shine.

Both Gao Shen and Real Madrid had to go all out.

While Real Madrid overturned Atletico away, Barcelona also won, beating Athletic Bilbao 2-1 on the road, keeping their one-point lead intact.

This was exactly what Gao Shen and the staff had said before the season when looking at the fixture list. Barcelona's schedule was favorable.

Compared to Real Madrid, Barcelona's run-in was much better.

Several of Real Madrid's toughest matches were placed in between Champions League fixtures, which was brutal.

This season, the squad had already shown its weaknesses, especially the lack of bench depth.

Kaka was leaving, and signing a strong midfielder was now essential.

Verratti was progressing well, but he could not yet challenge players like Toni Kroos or Modric. Still, his overall development was very promising. With time, he would definitely become an important part of the squad.

But Isco could only be used as an impact option and could not yet be relied on consistently.

At least for now.

Even if Real Madrid signed Illarramendi, he would only be a backup defensive midfielder and eventual successor to Xabi Alonso.

What Gao Shen really needed was a central midfielder.

De Bruyne was excellent, but Manchester City were relying on him too much.

The same applied to David Silva.

"Florentino said these rich clubs must not be offended," Gao Shen smiled bitterly and waved.

If the squad were stronger, he would have fewer concerns.

Rotations would also be easier.

Not like now, when they were always stretched thin.

Florentino never said it outright, but the meaning was clear: clubs like Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain could not be provoked. Even when buying players, Real Madrid had to negotiate first.

Of course, that had always been Real Madrid's way of doing transfers.

"The technical team provided a shortlist," Zidane said.

He always handled communication between the coaching staff and the management, so he knew the details best.

"They named four players: Gundogan from Dortmund, Eriksen from Ajax, Pjanic from Roma, and..." Zidane paused and looked at Gao Shen.

"Paul Pogba from Leeds United in the Premier League."

Hearing that last name, Hierro looked at Gao Shen in surprise.

Everyone knew how strong Leeds were.

But Gao Shen remained calm, without any visible reaction.

"It's not easy to sign players from top clubs. We don't need to target their core players anyway. Buying someone like David Silva, De Bruyne, or Rakitic is impossible."

…

When Zidane said this, he smiled. "I think Paul Pogba is very good."

He was Zidane's compatriot and a player he admired a lot.

In fact, Zidane had recommended Pogba to Real Madrid's technical team several times.

There was reason for it.

At Leeds United, Pogba's official position was left central midfielder. But in reality?

He often linked with left attacking midfielder Coutinho and left-back Kurzawa, frequently rotating. While listed as a left central midfielder, Pogba often played as an inside forward, a left winger, or even dropped as a defensive midfielder.

A versatile, complete role.

He was also Leeds' best player this season.

More importantly, Pogba was tall, skillful, and in many ways similar to Zidane when he played.

Their roles, positions, and technical style were alike, so it was no surprise Zidane liked him.

"Paris Saint-Germain are also interested, as are Manchester United," Gao Shen reminded.

Pogba came from United, so naturally they wanted him back.

With Moyes arriving in the summer, rebuilding was inevitable, and buying Pogba back was logical.

PSG's midfield issues were also clear.

In Gao Shen's view, Pogba was not an organizing midfielder. He could play there, but it was not his best role.

Still, PSG's interest made sense. Ligue 1 lacked reliable midfielders. Only Matuidi could be counted on, and Pastore was more attack-minded.

"Ancelotti has specifically asked for him and Gundogan," Zidane added.

In other words, if Real Madrid wanted one of them, they would have to fight PSG.

The staff knew Gao Shen was always impartial.

In private, he might chat about Leeds, but when it came to work, he never mixed things up.

After all, this was directly tied to Real Madrid's plans for next season.

Compared to midfield, the flanks were less urgent. Morata, Jese, and Vazquez were solid backups.

The priority this summer was clear: a center forward, a central midfielder, and perhaps a full-back.

But full-back was not urgent. The key was the striker and central midfielder.

…

Beyond transfers, contract renewals were also on the agenda.

Fortunately, Gao Shen had pushed for extensions since the end of last year. Progress was smooth, morale was high, and players like Xabi Alonso had already renewed.

The goalkeeper battle between Casillas and Courtois was fierce, but manageable.

Gao Shen had spoken with both, believing it was best to keep the status quo for now, which suited the team and the two keepers.

Both Casillas and Courtois said they were willing to continue competing next season.

At center-back, Ramos, Pepe, and Varane rotated. Albiol, however, barely played and was becoming restless. Gao Shen kept a close eye on the situation.

If Albiol wanted to leave, Gao Shen could not stop him.

With three starters fit, there was no room for him.

It was impossible to ask someone to sit on the bench forever.

Fortunately, Nacho's versatility meant he could cover at center-back when needed.

Transfers and renewals could wait. The immediate schedule was what left Gao Shen drained.

The Champions League and Copa del Rey were clear. La Liga, however, was troublesome.

Barcelona now had one match a week, with plenty of time to rest and prepare.

The return of Vilanova and Abidal had lifted morale, making them steady and consistent.

With five rounds left, the only real challenge Barcelona faced was away at Atletico.

But everyone knew Barcelona were Atletico's nemesis. Could the Colchoneros really stop them?

If given the choice, Atletico might even rather hand Barcelona the win, denying Real Madrid the title.

That was why Gao Shen feared La Liga was slipping away.

It was also why he was determined to fight for the Champions League and Copa del Rey.

Barcelona were too consistent in the league. Especially after their Champions League exit, they could focus everything on La Liga.

It was all Ramos' fault.

One mistake, and their hopes of the La Liga title were gone.

Gao Shen had no solution now. All he could do was lead the team to win every match and wait for Barcelona to slip.

Otherwise, what else could he do?

It was not as if he could call Vilanova and say: "Buddy, we want the treble, do us a favor and drop some points."

(To be continued.)