SWR: Chapter 946/947

Chapter 946: A Glimmer of Hope

"What you just said was really good! The players' reactions were all very positive."

After returning to Valdebebas and sending all the players away, Gao Shen met with the coaching staff in his office.

Carlo had just talked with the players and came back to report the latest situation to Gao Shen.

Earlier at the airport, they were blocked by media and fans, but the team did not accept any interviews or stop. They came back directly. The main reason was that Gao Shen knew the media would not ask anything constructive.

But the players' emotions still need constant attention.

"Butragueño just called me. He said that tomorrow morning there will be a flood of newspaper coverage. Public opinion will be very unfavorable to us. We need to prepare early. AS and Marca will run several reports to help us calm the fans."

Zidane is now the link between the coaching staff and the Bernabéu, responsible for relaying messages in both directions.

"But we still have to be mentally prepared, because public opinion could be very intense."

Gao Shen himself is one of the most followed figures in world football, and Real Madrid is a club that draws massive attention. Coupled with stars like Ronaldo, every move Real Madrid makes now attracts enormous scrutiny.

Right now, with Real Madrid's situation so precarious, who wouldn't want to step in and take a shot?

Which fans of the teams that Gao Shen has beaten in the past are not eagerly waiting for him to stumble?

There are also Real Madrid's opponents, all waiting for a chance to criticize.

All of this will come at you like a tidal wave.

This was something Gao Shen had anticipated long ago.

"Tell Butragueño to protect Arbeloa."

Zidane was slightly surprised. He looked at Gao Shen, then at Carlo, Hierro, and the others, and then nodded.

Even now, Gao Shen was still thinking about the players and Arbeloa.

This has always been Gao Shen's style.

As head coach, he always shoulders the responsibility himself to protect his players and the dressing room.

Many people wonder why Gao Shen's locker room is always so stable.

This is the reason.

He makes himself the shield in the locker room. As long as the players are not directly exposed to outside pressure, the dressing room will naturally remain stable.

"What did Florentino say?" Gao Shen asked.

Zidane looked at him and smiled. "He didn't say much. Just one sentence: he trusts you."

Gao Shen nodded. He had already guessed that.

"The current situation is very unfavorable for us. We have to find a solution as soon as possible," Hierro suggested.

Everyone nodded.

Even if Real Madrid wins the next two games, they will still be dependent on Manchester City and Dortmund in the end. It is too passive.

If only we had managed a draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, the situation would be completely different.

But there is nothing to be done now. A loss is a loss. Can we take it out on Arbeloa?

That is football. There will always be winners and losers. It is impossible to always win and to always be dealt good cards.

In these years as a head coach, Gao Shen has learned one lesson.

A truly strong coach can play well no matter what cards he is dealt.

"In fact, the current situation is not as desperate as we think."

Gao Shen's words drew everyone's attention.

"Dortmund has 9 points, Manchester City has 7, we have 4, and Porto has 3. In the next round, we will face Dortmund at home, and Manchester City will face Porto at home."

"From a practical standpoint, Manchester City beating Porto is not a big problem. In other words, Manchester City will reach 10 points, and Porto will stay at 3."

After Gao Shen's analysis, everyone immediately understood what he meant.

"That is to say, as long as we beat Dortmund at home in the fifth round, we will have 7 points, Dortmund will remain at 9 points, Manchester City will have 10 points, and we will rise to third place in the group with Porto still at 3 points."

At that point, Porto will basically have no chance of qualifying, not even of entering the Europa League as a third-place team.

In the last round, Real Madrid will face Porto away. Against a team that has nothing left to fight for, Real Madrid will be much more confident of winning.

This means that although on paper Real Madrid has two tough matches, in fact, the situation will improve significantly as long as they beat Dortmund.

And what if Manchester City fails to beat Porto?

That would be even better for Real Madrid!

Whether Manchester City has seven or eight points by then, Real Madrid will be able to catch up. In the last round, Real Madrid will go all out against Porto, and Manchester City will also be forced to fight Dortmund with everything they have.

At that point, as long as Real Madrid beats Porto, their chances of qualifying are very high.

The premise is…

"We must beat Dortmund by at least two goals at the Bernabéu," Gao Shen said, setting a target.

In the Champions League group stage, every match is crucial. The schedule is designed to keep every group alive with suspense, and this is fully reflected in the so-called group of death.

Take Group D as an example. It may look like the standings are clear, but in fact it is full of uncertainty.

Dortmund will play away against Real Madrid and at home against Manchester City in the last two rounds. Are they confident of winning?

The same is true for Manchester City and Real Madrid.

In the Champions League group stage, if teams are level on points, the head-to-head results come first.

Judging from the head-to-head record, Real Madrid lost to Manchester City. But as long as they can beat Dortmund by two goals at the Bernabéu, Real Madrid will have an advantage in head-to-head against Dortmund.

What does this mean?

If Dortmund does not want to end up with the same points as Real Madrid, they will have to go all out against Manchester City in the final round.

Manchester City will also have to fight hard against Dortmund to secure qualification.

So, the key to the whole situation lies in the match against Dortmund at the Bernabéu.

It may sound complicated and there are many possible scenarios, but in reality, as long as Real Madrid wins this match, the path forward will become clear, and there will be a glimmer of hope.

Of course, if they cannot beat Dortmund by two goals, the situation will become much more complicated.

Real Madrid may not even make it out of the group.

After Gao Shen laid it all out, everyone finally saw the picture clearly.

It is very difficult to win by two goals against Dortmund at home, but at least now there is a clear direction and goal.

What people fear the most is not difficulty, but having no direction and losing their goals.

As long as there is a direction and a goal, there is hope no matter how hard it is!

Carlo, Zidane, Hierro and the others regained their confidence.

"What are you going to do with Arbeloa suspended from the red card?" Carlo asked with concern.

This will also guide his future training arrangements.

Currently, Real Madrid has several players who can play as right-back, such as Ramos, Nacho, and Carvajal.

But there is a problem. If Ramos moves to right-back, there will be an issue at centre-back.

Varane is still too young, and Albiol does not have enough physical strength.

Against Dortmund, the centre-backs will have to mark Lewandowski directly, which is a very difficult task.

Many people say that Ramos and Pepe are reckless and impulsive, but their strength is undeniable.

Especially after Gao Shen took over, the team's defensive system has stabilized, and they have become much calmer.

Real Madrid is still very systematic in defense.

"I want to observe Carvajal," Gao Shen said.

Carlo frowned. "Dortmund's wingers are very strong."

Zidane and Hierro both nodded and looked at Gao Shen.

Everyone knows that Dortmund's flanks are very strong. If Carvajal is put on, can he handle it?

"The most important thing for us in this game is not defense, but offense."

Gao Shen set the tone for the match.

"We are at home, and we need to score two goals. If we focus on defense, what kind of mentality will the players have?"

It will make them hesitant and cautious.

Using Ramos on the right stabilizes the flank, but leaves hidden dangers in the center.

More importantly, the players are not stupid. They can read the coach's expressions and understand his intentions.

Once the head coach becomes conservative, won't the players play even more cautiously?

"On the left, we will have to face Reus directly. Marcos Alonso and Nacho can both be considered."

Both of these young players have good defensive abilities. The key is to see who performs better.

There is another advantage for Real Madrid.

There are two full weeks between the fourth round and the fifth round of the Champions League group stage.

During this period, Gao Shen can carry out targeted training for the team.

This will be a tough battle, a hard fight.

If Gao Shen can analyze the situation, Klopp certainly can too. He also knows that this match at the Bernabéu is a decisive showdown.

No matter what, Dortmund's best strategy is to win this match first and secure qualification early.

As for what happens afterward, they will think about it later.

Therefore, Dortmund will also go all out against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu.

…

It was already early morning when he returned home from Valdebebas.

Gao Shen walked into the room quietly. Seeing that his wife was already asleep, he carefully went to the next room to take a shower and change.

Pregnant women tend to sleep more, and a head coach's job often keeps him busy until late at night.

Even home matches at Madrid often start around eight or nine, sometimes even ten at night.

This is one of Spain's characteristics.

Everyone in this country is a night owl.

But no matter how late it is, Gao Shen always comes home to sleep.

It is not that Su Qing is worried about him having an affair. After all, they live in Valdebebas, so there is nothing to worry about.

The most important thing is that she just wants to see him.

And Gao Shen also wants to come home.

No matter how upset or tired he feels outside, he always feels calm when he comes home and lies next to his wife.

When he woke up the next morning, he was full of confidence again.

Being Real Madrid's head coach comes with enormous pressure and challenges, but also a great sense of achievement.

This is also the reason why so many world-class coaches have failed here.

If it were an easy job, others would have already rushed to take it, and Gao Shen would never have had the opportunity.

It is because the job is too difficult and the pressure is too great, and no one else can handle it, that Real Madrid tried everything to invite Gao Shen back.

Just like now, if the head coach does not have strong mental qualities, he will be crushed in minutes.

If the team loses the remaining two matches, there will definitely be problems in the dressing room. Even if the management says nothing, the pressure on the coach will skyrocket, and he could collapse in the end.

This is not an exaggeration. This is what has happened to many head coaches of top clubs.

But Gao Shen believes that he will never be one of them.

After taking a shower and returning to bed, Su Qing, who had been lying on her side with her back to him, turned over gently, reached out to hold his hand, and rested her head on his pillow.

Even though no words were spoken, Gao Shen felt completely at ease.

It was like a ship sailing far away, finally leaving the stormy waves and entering a calm harbor.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 947: Bury Me Alive

How do you play against Dortmund?

This has become a huge question for the entire Bundesliga, and even for European football.

Since the rise of the Hornets, they have had an overwhelming advantage over Bayern Munich. Especially last season, when they beat Bayern twice in the league.

Many people say that Dortmund has characteristics similar to Napoli under Gao Shen.

Both teams advocate full-pitch pressing. Their pressing in midfield and the attacking third is fierce, and their playing style is extremely tough.

A style like this often puts the opponent in trouble when it comes to building up play and distributing the ball, especially for teams that are not particularly good at passing and ball control.

But is that all?

No!

Klopp's team is not just about high pressing. All of them have excellent tactical awareness and discipline, which makes the team's technical and tactical quality very high and the overall structure very complete.

It can be said that it is never easy for any team to play against Dortmund.

This is especially true for Real Madrid.

Everyone knows that since 2009, Real Madrid has always relied on quick counterattacks.

From Ronaldo to Kaka to Di Maria, this has been a consistent style.

But this approach becomes much less effective against Dortmund.

Under the strong pressing in midfield and the attacking third, many underestimate Dortmund's overall defensive structure, particularly their back line.

However, Dortmund's style of play is not flawless and has weaknesses.

The first is physical fitness.

There is a saying in European football that Dortmund is a 60-minute team.

What does this mean?

It means that they can be full of energy for the first 60 minutes, but after 60 minutes, as their physical energy declines, their performance drops significantly.

In theory, when dealing with such a team, you should hold out for the first 60 minutes and focus on the last 30.

But theory is just theory. Putting it into practice is much more complicated.

Especially in a high-level match like the Champions League, no one knows what cards the opponent will play or what tricks they will use. All you can do is fight for the best possible result.

The second weakness is defensive positioning.

The benefits of a high defensive line are obvious. When the whole defensive line pushes forward, you can create numerical superiority in certain areas, especially in midfield, effectively limiting the opponent's progress. But the disadvantages are also obvious.

That is, once you lose control in the attacking third and the opponent breaks through with a direct ball, the large gaps left behind become fatal.

This is true for Barcelona, Dortmund, and even for Gao Shen's own teams.

Later, Gao Shen adjusted his system, moving the pressing zone back to the midline, focusing more on control rather than blindly pressing high.

Therefore, theoretically, when playing against Dortmund, the team should use passing and control to avoid Dortmund's pressing in midfield and the attacking third, and then play direct passes behind them to launch attacks.

However, as mentioned before, theory is just theory and very hard to implement in practice.

The simplest reason is that whether you are trying to exhaust Dortmund's energy, avoid their pressing, or look for direct balls behind their line, it requires high-quality passing and control from midfield and defense.

But once there is a mistake in passing or receiving and the ball is intercepted, it can be fatal.

…

After returning from Manchester, Gao Shen made time to strengthen the team's passing and possession training.

This included an evaluation of the defensive players' passing and ball-handling abilities.

Ramos, Pepe, Varane, and Albiol, the four centre-backs, all have good passing ability.

Among them, Albiol can play both as a centre-back and as a defensive midfielder, and his passing ability is clear.

But when it comes to overall ability, Ramos and Pepe are the best, and both have the ability to hit accurate long passes.

If there are no surprises, these two will be the starting central defenders.

On the right, Carvajal is Gao Shen's preferred choice. He has no problem with technique and passing, but the key is his defending.

Dortmund's wingers are very strong in attack and have excellent physical attributes, which puts heavy pressure on Real Madrid's flanks defensively.

Gao Shen knows better than anyone what his Napoli team excelled at back then.

Local pressing and trapping.

What does this mean?

Simply put, it means creating a numerical advantage in a certain area and closing down the opponent with multiple players.

Especially on the wings, the effect is obvious.

The reason is simple. The flanks are the easiest areas to trap opponents.

To resolve this, you need to create a threat on the opposite side to share the pressure.

In other words, both wings must pose a threat.

On the left, Ronaldo and Toni Kroos will be the main attacking force. Originally there was Marcelo as well, but unfortunately, the Brazilian left-back is injured.

Now, Gao Shen is still considering whether to use Marcos Alonso or Nacho.

On the right, Carvajal is stronger offensively. Gao Shen wants to form an attacking triangle on the right with Carvajal, Di Maria, and Modric to share the pressure from the left and give Ronaldo a more relaxed tactical environment.

More importantly, Marcelo's absence has had a huge impact on the left-wing attack, and Gao Shen needs to make adjustments.

The ideal approach is to make up for it with the right wing.

…

After the lunch break, Modric received a notice from the coaching staff, left the players' rest area, and came to the restaurant at Valdebebas.

At this time, Gao Shen was sitting by the window in the restaurant with a cup of coffee in front of him, looking very relaxed.

How could he look like the loser about to be kicked out of the Champions League as described by the media?

He didn't even seem to be taking the upcoming La Liga match in two days seriously.

For some reason, every time he saw him, Modric always felt a certain confidence rise in his heart.

He is a natural authority.

He doesn't need to do anything, or even say anything. Just standing there is enough. Everyone is willing to listen to him, follow him, and work for him.

That is Gao Shen.

"Boss, were you looking for me?" Modric walked in.

Gao Shen smiled and didn't stand up. He lazily pointed to the chair opposite him, motioning him to sit.

"You'd better have a glass of water," Gao Shen said with a smile.

Modric was speechless.

Was now really the right time to drink water?

But Modric couldn't argue. He was a professional.

Since arriving at Real Madrid, Modric has deeply felt Gao Shen's uniqueness. Whether it's in team management or other aspects, Gao Shen is very different from other head coaches.

The biggest change is in the dressing room.

Last season, the internal conflicts in Real Madrid's locker room were well-known throughout the football world, but after Modric arrived, he found there was no tension at all. Everyone focuses on the matches and training.

The pre-season friendlies were played with their usual composure, with a bit of chaos but also uniqueness. When the official matches started, Real Madrid began to build momentum, improving with every game.

Many things that were unclear during pre-season became gradually obvious.

Gao Shen chats with him at least once a week, about everything from football to life, family, habits...

Sometimes, Gao Shen would even ask when his wife was coming back from Croatia.

Strangely, Modric, like other players, was very happy to share these things with Gao Shen.

He is like a magician who can always uncover the secrets in people's hearts.

This time, inviting Modric to the restaurant to drink water also had a reason.

"To be honest, my first impression was that La Liga focused more on skills and less on physicality, but I didn't expect the technical and tactical level here to be so high, and the intensity to be very strong, especially in away games."

"La Liga teams are tactically very sharp and play at a high tempo."

Modric talked about how his impression of La Liga changed after playing for some time.

Gao Shen told him that in recent years, La Liga has been leading the tactical revolution in European football.

From Cooper's Mallorca and Valencia, to Benítez, and then Gao Shen and Guardiola, they all came from La Liga.

Many think that La Liga emphasizes technique, but in fact, many La Liga teams play very aggressively.

Including teams like Athletic Bilbao, Osasuna, Valencia, and others.

Modric also mentioned the difference in La Liga fans. "They are more aggressive towards the opposing players. Sometimes, to be honest, I am afraid they will throw things from the stands."

Gao Shen laughed loudly when he heard this. "I have to thank Figo. Otherwise, I would have been buried alive under those pig heads at Camp Nou!"

Modric couldn't help laughing after hearing this.

In his impression, Gao Shen has always been a humorous person.

Gradually, Gao Shen began to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted.

"I still remember when you were at Tottenham, many people compared you to Pirlo."

Modric nodded. "That is an honor for me, Boss."

"But I think the two of you are not alike at all," Gao Shen said, changing the subject.

Modric was slightly stunned. He always thought he was quite similar to Pirlo. At one point, he even suspected Gao Shen wanted him to play as a deep-lying midfielder, but it turned out not to be the case.

"Pirlo's position is very clear. He is a deep-lying playmaker. But your role is more flexible than his. You can play in many different roles: deep-lying, central, or advanced."

"The deep-lying number four needs to intercept and pass long, the central number eight needs to run and organize all over the pitch, and the number ten needs to pass, shoot from distance, and make late runs."

"You can do all of these."

"More importantly, you have excellent running and coverage, which is very rare. Even someone like Zidane, if you look at it by today's standards, his coverage was actually very small."

Modric understood what the coach meant. He even felt a little flattered that the coach would compare him with Zidane. This was a huge compliment.

But he still did not fully understand why the coach was telling him all this.

Or rather, what exactly did he want to say to him?

(To be continued.)