SWR: Chapter 984/986

Chapter 984: Real Madrid's Ultimate Weapon

Three goals down, Barcelona were on the verge of losing their composure.

When had this team, always proud and self-proclaimed as extraordinary, ever been beaten so badly by a domestic opponent?

The first meeting between the two sides this season was at Camp Nou, where Barcelona lost 0-3 at home.

That was already a huge humiliation.

Now, at the Santiago Bernabéu, they still had no answer to Real Madrid.

In fact, the situation was even more embarrassing than in the first game.

For much of the match, they could barely cross the halfway line.

Especially in the second half, with Real Madrid already leading 3-0, they were still pressing high in Barcelona's half. From their posture, it looked like they genuinely intended to take Barcelona head-on. How could Barcelona accept such a provocation?

As a result, Barcelona quickly intensified their counterattacks.

Their players were extremely experienced and quickly recognised that when Real Madrid's defence pushed high, the space behind would open up. They began actively trying to exploit it with direct passes into the space behind the back line.

In this case, Varane and Pepe, as centre-backs, were the first to face the test.

In the 49th minute, the two sides were battling fiercely near the halfway line, with possession changing hands repeatedly.

Xavi attempted to play the ball in behind to find Sánchez, but Carvajal got there first and cleared with a long pass.

The clearance fell back into midfield, where Xavi again tried a direct pass, but Pepe intercepted.

However, the loose ball was picked up by Messi, who shook off Xabi Alonso and threaded a through ball.

Agüero cut in from behind, collected the ball and drove into the box.

With Agüero in a one-on-one situation and Casillas about to come off his line, Varane burst across from the side. Just as Agüero was about to shoot, the Frenchman slid in and blocked the attempt.

Varane then sprang back to his feet, shielded the ball from Agüero, and calmly passed it back to Casillas.

The Real Madrid keeper immediately launched the ball upfield.

The entire Bernabéu erupted in cheers.

From a distance, Casillas gave Varane a thumbs-up.

…

On the touchline, Gao Shen applauded Varane's outstanding defending and turned to smile at Zidane.

It seemed his "motivational" tactics for Varane had worked.

Push this kid a little, and his potential would be forced out instantly.

"He's been brilliant tonight," Hierro couldn't help but praise.

At just nineteen years old, to deliver such a performance in El Clásico was a sign of great promise.

More importantly, his marking of Messi had been excellent.

Now, Barcelona were even having Messi drop deeper to find space.

"Honestly, I'm shocked," Carlo said with a wry smile, giving Gao Shen a look that seemed to say: I'm not as bold as you, can we tone it down?

"This is a perfect chance to see how much attacking pressure our defence can handle. Only when we understand our limits can we be more confident in setting up for the Champions League knockout stage," Gao Shen explained.

In truth, his aggressive approach at the start of the second half was not solely about scoring.

The goal was a bonus.

What Gao Shen really wanted was to test how much pressure Real Madrid's defence could withstand.

Barcelona were the perfect benchmark.

If Real Madrid could hold up under their attack, Gao Shen would have more confidence and flexibility in the knockout rounds.

Sometimes, it would even allow him to try more daring, attack-heavy tactics.

Otherwise, sticking to the current style might leave him unsure and hesitant.

"Didn't you already test this in the group stage?" Carlo grumbled.

"That was Ramos and Pepe. Now it's Varane. I want to see if he can cope," Gao Shen replied.

Two centre-backs were not enough for the demands ahead.

The reason he dared to take this gamble was because he believed Varane could handle it.

This was Real Madrid's future defensive leader.

…

On the pitch, the two sides remained locked in battle.

What surprised everyone was that Real Madrid still showed no intention of sitting back. Instead, they kept pushing forward.

In the 55th minute, Xabi Alonso played a long pass, looking to exploit space behind the defence, but Puyol beat Benzema to the ball and headed it to the retreating Alba.

Alba passed to Busquets, who laid it off to Xavi.

Barcelona kept the ball moving until Xavi, finding space, launched a long pass over the top of the Real Madrid back line.

Agüero raced forward at full speed, charging into Real Madrid's defensive third and heading straight for the box.

Pepe and Arbeloa chased from behind, but Varane's pace was quicker.

The Frenchman sprinted past Messi, accelerated again, and closed the gap on Agüero just as he reached the top of the arc.

Agüero entered the penalty area, but Varane made a subtle blocking movement with his left hand — not making contact, but signalling his presence — while taking half a step ahead.

At the decisive moment, Varane slid in for a tackle.

Agüero stumbled over him and went down inside the box, but Varane had already cleanly won the ball.

Casillas reacted instantly, coming off his line to collect before Messi could arrive.

Barcelona's players appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved play on.

"Fantastic tackle."

"Varane, the 19-year-old Frenchman, coming up with a huge defensive play at a critical moment."

"We can see his tackle was decisive, with no hesitation, and his reading of the situation was spot on."

"This young player has just made a massive contribution."

The Bernabéu once again rang out with chants of Varane's name.

The fans were roaring their approval for the young centre-back, as were Gao Shen and his staff on the touchline.

Two crucial tackles in quick succession had made a lasting impression.

Especially his composure under pressure.

Inspired by Varane's interventions, Real Madrid surged forward.

Casillas quickly rolled the ball out, signalling his teammates to push up.

The attack began down the right. Modric fed Di María, who carried the ball to the edge of the box before being stopped by Alba and Busquets, forcing him to lay it back.

Modric switched play to Ronaldo on the left.

Real Madrid tried to break through there, but Ronaldo, tightly marked, found no opening near the edge of the box and laid the ball back to Toni Kroos.

The German midfielder, receiving on the turn, used his right foot to shield from Xavi and then played a cross-field pass.

At that moment, the entire right side of Barcelona's penalty area was completely open.

With Di María and Benzema central, Ronaldo on the left, Barcelona's defence had collapsed inward, leaving that space unguarded.

Carvajal timed his run perfectly. Receiving Kroos's pass, he controlled it with his right foot and, before Alba could close him down, whipped in a first-time cross.

The delivery had low height and high speed, skipping past the crowded middle and dropping at the back of the six-yard box.

Ronaldo had anticipated this the moment Carvajal took possession. Sprinting in at full speed, he rose with a powerful leap and met the cross with a thundering header.

The ball flew into the left side of Barcelona's goal.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!"

"4-0!"

"Another goal for Real Madrid!"

"In the 57th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo scores again!"

Ronaldo charged towards the stands in celebration, with the Bernabéu faithful leaping from their seats in ecstasy.

His teammates quickly caught up to celebrate with him.

Barcelona's players lowered their heads in dejection.

No matter how hard they tried, they could not stop Real Madrid's relentless attack.

…

"This attacking routine will be our ultimate weapon," Zidane said in admiration.

What is an ultimate weapon?

It is something the opponent cannot defend against, no matter what they do.

Just as teams cannot fully stop Barcelona's possession game, this was Real Madrid's answer.

Their goal just now had been carefully designed.

First, draw the entire defence to one side. Then, switch play quickly with a long diagonal pass to the free side, where the full-back joins the attack to deliver the decisive ball.

Just like now — how could Barcelona defend it?

Kroos's diagonal pass was faster than anyone could react to, and perfectly accurate.

Carvajal's control on the run was flawless, a skill honed in training. His first-time cross was pinpoint for Ronaldo, whose leap and timing made him impossible to stop.

In that moment, Real Madrid's attack was simply unstoppable.

And this was only one side.

When Marcelo returned on the left, both flanks would become equally dangerous…

Zidane could barely imagine the havoc it would cause.

It would shake European football to its core.

Looking at Gao Shen, the French legend couldn't help but feel genuine admiration.

As the season progressed, it was clear Gao Shen's transfer business had been deeply thought out.

Take Toni Kroos — his passing was steady, his ball retention excellent, and his vision and long-range delivery devastatingly accurate.

And Gao Shen had placed him in the left central midfield role to maximise those qualities.

Seeing Khedira's and Özil's current roles, who would dare say now that signing Kroos and Modrić was a bad deal?

It was a masterstroke.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 985: The Number One Hero

Disaster!

When Real Madrid thrashed Barcelona 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu, Barcelona's mouthpiece, Daily Sports, immediately published a commentary defining the crushing defeat.

The paper stated that such a heavy loss had made it almost impossible for Barcelona to mount a comeback at Camp Nou.

"We cannot believe that a Barcelona side like this can score more than four goals against Real Madrid at Camp Nou. It is almost impossible."

Catalan media argued that Barcelona's defeat was not just a tactical failure.

With head coach Vilanova absent and assistant coach Roura in charge, the tactics he deployed were completely neutralised by Gao Shen.

"It turns out that Roura is not qualified to take on the role of Barcelona's head coach. Against Gao Shen, he had no chance of winning at all. Barcelona were completely dictated to by Real Madrid throughout the game."

According to Daily Sports, Barcelona still dominated possession in this crucial match.

A possession rate of 66.6% was enough to show their superiority in passing and control, but in terms of shots, Real Madrid had 15 attempts while Barcelona managed only five.

"This was the game with the fewest shots Barcelona have had all season."

What was even harder to accept was that Real Madrid registered seven shots on target, while Barcelona had zero. In other words, Barcelona did not even threaten Iker Casillas' goal once.

A truly despairing gap.

Daily Sports concluded that apart from dominating possession, Barcelona were comprehensively outplayed.

Real Madrid won 27 individual duels, compared to Barcelona's 11.

Barcelona committed only five fouls, while Real Madrid made 19.

Real Madrid had seven corners, Barcelona just two.

Statistics do not tell the whole story, but they do reveal part of the truth.

The paper argued that this data not only reflected Barcelona's loss on the technical and tactical level but also exposed their inferiority to Real Madrid in terms of mentality and fighting spirit.

Otherwise, how could one explain the disparity in duels and fouls committed?

"Our players are no longer pressing aggressively to win the ball back after losing it, as they did in the past. Instead, they tend to rely on their teammates around them to recover possession."

The report also highlighted Messi's complete lack of impact in this game.

This was not the first time, and it was no coincidence that he struggled to score against teams with strong defensive setups.

Daily Sports even captured a moment in the match: when Real Madrid intercepted the ball and launched a counterattack, all their players sprinted forward, while Messi walked slowly back, prompting the damning question.

"Messi, did you really give your best?"

Clearly, the Catalan media felt one of the key reasons for the 0-4 humiliation was that Barcelona's attacking players, especially Messi, did not give their all.

With the team trailing 0-4, Roura made a series of substitutions, but the situation hardly improved.

As the team's core, Messi played the full match but contributed almost nothing. Instead, he ended up making Real Madrid's young French centre-back Raphaël Varane the star of the night.

This was deeply embarrassing for the Barcelona press.

In recent years, it had always been Barcelona's young players who shone in El Clásico. When had the spotlight shifted to Real Madrid's youngsters?

But this season, Real Madrid had plenty of them.

Carvajal's name barely needed mentioning, with calls for his inclusion in the Spanish national team growing louder and Del Bosque openly stating he would consider him.

Previously, youngsters like Jesé, Morata, Casemiro, and Isco had all featured and impressed.

In this match, Varane took on the main defensive responsibility. Against Messi and Agüero, he played at a truly top-class level.

After the game, Real Madrid assistant coach and former captain Hierro publicly praised Varane in a media interview.

"This kid plays with maturity and quality, proving he has the right physical and technical attributes. The key is that the decisions he makes on the pitch give a sense of security and trust, which is vital for a centre-back."

Hierro analysed further: "He is very fast. Twice against Agüero, he recovered from behind using pace and acceleration, which shows his excellence."

"He has the speed and explosiveness of a sprinter and the build of a track and field athlete. If you didn't check his ID, you'd think he was already in his prime."

"But in fact, he is only nineteen."

What Hierro admired most was Varane's composure and concentration.

"These are qualities every top centre-back must have."

Sanchís, Real Madrid's greatest centre-back and former captain, also spoke to the media after the game.

"Varane has all the attributes a top centre-back should have. Despite being tall, he is technically assured and very quick. Those two recovery runs in the match really impressed me."

Sanchís believed Varane's future was bright.

"He is lucky to have such a good coach at Real Madrid. Gao Shen is the best in the world at discovering and developing young players. Look at Carvajal, who has improved steadily all season. Now look at Varane. After this match, we have every reason to believe the Frenchman will enter a period of rapid growth."

If only Real Madrid legends were saying this, it could be seen as polite praise.

But in this Clásico, France national team coach Didier Deschamps was also watching live.

After the match, he told L'Équipe he was pleased with Varane's performance.

"Varane has been recommended to me by more than one person. Many have said he is the best French centre-back since Blanc. After watching this match, I believe he has that potential and the ability to meet national team requirements."

Deschamps confirmed he would seriously consider calling Varane up.

At the post-match press conference, Real Madrid head coach Gao Shen also named Varane as the number one contributor to the victory over Barcelona at the Bernabéu.

"In the dressing room after the match, I told Varane, 'You played really well today!'"

Gao Shen believed Varane could become a world-class centre-back, but only if he kept pushing himself, refused to settle, and maintained his hunger.

"I believe that in the coming years, when we talk about the best centre-backs in the world, Varane will definitely be among them."

This was one of the highest compliments Gao Shen had ever given.

He did not show favouritism with his defenders, also using Varane's example to challenge Ramos and Pepe.

"If they committed fewer fouls and collected fewer cards, they too would be top-class."

Gao Shen then laughed. "Real Madrid will have three world-class centre-backs. That will be a wonderful thing for me."

Varane, speaking to Marca after the game, thanked his coach for the praise and promised to keep working hard.

"I feel good and satisfied with this match. It is always especially tough against Barcelona, but the team played very well. This is the best game I have played since joining Real Madrid, and I hope to continue like this."

He revealed that Gao Shen and his teammates congratulated him after the match, and that what drove his performance was the coach's encouragement beforehand.

"When he told me Real Madrid needed me to start against Barcelona and that he believed in me, I felt my moment had finally arrived! I had no reason to waste such an opportunity. This is something every professional player dreams of."

Varane admitted he still needed time to adapt to this new role but vowed to keep improving.

AS also devoted extensive coverage to Varane after the match.

As the second-youngest foreign player in El Clásico history — only behind Messi — the two were naturally incomparable in role, one being a centre-back, the other a forward. But AS praised Gao Shen's Real Madrid in the highest terms.

"At the start of the season, Gao Shen said this Real Madrid would be a team with enormous potential. At the time, most scoffed, believing the La Liga title race would be decided early. Super clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona were not seen as 'projects' requiring patience."

"Some even pushed for Gao Shen's dismissal when results were less than ideal."

"But now, looking back, we must admit how accurate and forward-thinking Gao Shen's judgement was."

"According to Real Madrid sources, without Marcelo's injury, the team would have progressed even faster."

"Now, with young talents like Carvajal and Varane stepping up, it would be no surprise if Jesé, Morata, Casemiro, and Isco followed suit. This group has shown excellent potential all season."

Alfredo, AS's editor-in-chief, summed it up:

"Gao Shen's Real Madrid is full of vitality and hope. Up to now, they have maintained pressure on Barcelona in La Liga, almost eliminated them early in the Copa del Rey, and in the Champions League they have broken through barriers that had blocked them for years to reach the knockout stage."

"In just half a year, Gao Shen has proven his worth once again, making everyone believe he is still one of the best coaches in the world, and the most suitable for Real Madrid."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 986: Natural Shooter

On the evening of February 2nd, at the Carmenes Stadium in Granada.

In the 22nd round of La Liga, Real Madrid were away to face Granada.

The match had entered the 80th minute, yet the score was still 0-0.

Gao Shen stood on the touchline, watching the play unfold.

Real Madrid had not gone all out tonight, largely because the players had just fought a grueling battle against Barcelona in midweek. After this league match, they would head off to their national teams for international fixtures, putting many of them under extra pressure.

As a result, Gao Shen rotated his squad.

Thanks to Real Madrid's strong performances, two young players, Carvajal and Isco, had earned call-ups to the Spanish national team, while Varane was called up by France.

Spain were set to face Uruguay, France would meet Germany, and Argentina would play Sweden in Gothenburg.

The matches were tightly scheduled in the middle of the week, with league games resuming at the weekend. To reduce travel fatigue, South American national teams had been arranged to play their friendlies in Europe, leaving Gao Shen with even less reason to resist the national team call-ups.

Because of this, he made heavy rotations, and as a result, the team found themselves up against Granada's stubborn resistance.

Now, Gao Shen understood exactly what Barcelona had felt three days earlier when they faced Real Madrid.

Possession was as high as 73.7%, with 21 shots, but only four were on target, many from long range.

As for Granada, their possession was negligible. They had only two shots, neither on target.

The two sides were not even close in level.

But Granada committed 29 fouls and collected five yellow cards.

They had thrown everything into defending, building a solid iron wall at the back.

"Many people say La Liga values technique and attacking play," Gao Shen remarked, walking back to the visitors' bench with a wry smile to Carlo, Zidane, and the others.

"That's because they don't realise La Liga teams rarely adopt a defensive block. But once they do, it is a proper defensive block."

Carlo, Zidane, and Hierro all nodded in agreement.

"Granada are a really tough side, and Siqueira has played well," Hierro added.

During the winter break, Real Madrid had the chance to sign Siqueira, but Gao Shen declined.

He had a touch of perfectionism and would rather have no signing than one that did not meet his standards.

Besides, he did not think Siqueira could fulfil his requirements.

Granada had been following a buy-low, sell-high strategy in recent years, backed by Italy's Pozzo family.

Gao Shen knew them well — they were influential.

Udinese in Serie A, Granada in La Liga, and Watford, formerly in the Premier League and now in the Championship, were all owned by the Pozzos. They scoured the globe for young talent, developed them in their clubs, and sold them at a high price once they proved themselves.

It was a lucrative business and kept them ever-present in European football.

With Watford relegated, the Pozzos now had only two top-flight teams left — Granada and Udinese — and Granada were determined to avoid relegation this season.

Facing Real Madrid at home, they were ready to fight to the last.

Gao Shen had already used all three substitutions.

On the pitch, Morata and Higuaín were paired up front, with Kaká playing as the number 10 behind them.

Gao Shen still hoped the two strikers could stretch Granada's defensive shape and create space for teammates.

But Granada's defensive block was rock solid.

Earlier in the day, Barcelona had drawn 1-1 away to Valencia, giving Real Madrid an excellent chance to close the gap. Gao Shen and his players were desperate for the win, but Granada's defending was proving difficult to break down.

As head coach, there was little Gao Shen could do when faced with such a deep defensive block.

Breaking down a parked bus is a universal problem in football.

…

In the 86th minute, Granada attempted to pass the ball into Real Madrid's penalty area, but Courtois rushed out to claim it on the edge of the box.

The Belgian keeper rolled it to the unmarked Ramos.

Wearing the captain's armband, Ramos partnered Varane in central defence tonight, with Pepe rested.

Ramos controlled the ball and, instead of advancing, sent a long pass upfield.

Morata chased it down, judging the drop point.

The young striker's positioning had never been his strongest trait, and he lacked the physical dominance to hold off defenders. Since coming on, he had repeatedly failed to win duels with Granada's centre-back López.

But Morata showed intelligence here. This time he cut inside ahead of López, letting the ball fall to their side. Using his height, long legs, and neat technique, he reached the ball first, volleying it out of mid-air.

López recovered quickly, blocking Morata's turn, but Morata anticipated this. He stepped forward to control the ball, avoiding midfielder Recio's challenge, and slipped a pass between the two Granada players.

Kaká arrived from behind, meeting Morata's pass first time with a perfectly weighted ground ball.

It split the defence, bypassing centre-back Mainz, and Higuaín timed his run to perfection, beating the offside trap.

The Argentine brought it under control just outside the box, drove inside, and, one-on-one with keeper Toño, calmly slotted the ball home.

1-0!

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!"

"In the 86th minute, Real Madrid finally find the breakthrough!"

"This was their 22nd shot of the match, and it is the one that counts!"

"Higuaín with the golden goal!"

The Argentine striker raced to the stands, celebrating wildly.

Kaká followed close behind, his composure in the assist equally decisive.

And Higuaín — his anticipation and positioning were instinctive.

A true natural-born finisher!

…

In the end, Real Madrid beat Granada 1-0 away, thanks to Higuaín's late strike.

With Barcelona having drawn 1-1 away to Valencia, Real Madrid closed the gap to just two points.

After 22 rounds of La Liga, Barcelona still led with 61 points, Real Madrid trailed with 59, and Atlético Madrid were third with 50.

Although more than half the season remained, it was clear the title would be decided between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

For Barcelona, the biggest question mark remained head coach Vilanova.

Currently in hospital after a second surgery, Vilanova had become a symbolic figure for the club.

In high-profile matches, Barcelona's flaws might be exposed, but against other sides they played with confidence and efficiency.

According to AS editor-in-chief Alfredo, Real Madrid's 59 points were their highest total after 22 rounds in the past decade.

In previous seasons, aside from Barcelona in 2010/11, this tally would have been enough for Real Madrid to lead the league.

But notably, Barcelona also had 61 points at this stage in 2010/11 — that year, Guardiola's side won the league with 96 points.

Judging from the current situation, Vilanova's team could well match that feat.

For Real Madrid, they would need at least 37 points from the remaining 16 matches to have a chance of turning the tables.

That was a huge challenge for a team also competing in the Champions League and Copa del Rey, with a bench not especially deep.

But Alfredo added that regardless of the outcome, Gao Shen's Real Madrid had undergone a complete transformation in mentality and tactics this season, bringing surprising improvement.

"We all believe that even if we do not win the title this season, Real Madrid's revival is just around the corner."

…

After the 22nd round, the league paused for international fixtures.

The national team players reported for duty, but Gao Shen and his staff did not take time off, instead tracking their players' performances closely while planning post-international break training.

On their return, Real Madrid would face Sevilla at home in the 23rd round, followed by the Champions League round of 16 first leg against Manchester United, also at the Bernabéu.

That would be a true test.

Fortunately, none of Real Madrid's internationals suffered serious injuries, though the matches were intense.

Argentina beat Sweden 3-2 in Gothenburg, with Higuaín scoring and Di María shining.

Germany came from behind to beat France 2-1, with Toni Kroos playing the full match.

Spain defeated Uruguay 3-1, with several players completing the full 90 minutes.

Of course, this was not unique to Real Madrid — all top clubs faced the same strain.

But ahead lay an even more demanding schedule.

Still, having no new injuries was a huge relief for Gao Shen.

The upcoming Sevilla match was not the main focus for Real Madrid. At the Bernabéu, Gao Shen was confident of winning.

The real challenge would come the following Wednesday against Manchester United. Ferguson was the most formidable opponent.

How to put it?

He had an exceptional grasp of tactics and could turn an ordinary set of cards into a winning hand.

This was Ferguson's greatest strength.

Gao Shen was certain he would target an away goal at the Bernabéu.

With that away goal, United would have the advantage and could sit deep, playing on the counter — exactly the scenario Real Madrid least wanted.

Whether it ended 1-0 or 1-1, United would still benefit.

There was also one piece of bad news for Real Madrid: Marcelo's recovery would take longer than expected.

Although the Brazilian had resumed training, his match fitness was far from ready, especially for high-intensity fixtures like the Champions League.

He had simply been out for too long.

(To be continued.)