SWR: Chapter 842/843

Chapter 842: The Capture of Camp Nou

"It's still Barça controlling the ball in midfield."

"Passed to Iniesta, he carries it forward and tries to find Agüero."

"Rakitić reads it and cuts off the passing lane."

"Nice interception!"

"Rakitić launches the counterattack, Manchester City are on the break again!!!"

"Yaya Touré drives the ball forward and lays it off to the left wing."

"Gareth Bale picks it up on the left flank and surges forward."

"Xavi and Busquets are on this side, Alves is sprinting back."

"Let's see how Gareth Bale handles this!"

"Accelerates!"

"Gareth Bale is so fast!!"

"The Flying Welshman!!!"

"Neither Xavi nor Busquets can stop Gareth Bale!"

"Oh my God, just look at that pace!!!"

"He cuts inside from the left channel to the edge of the penalty area. Piqué steps up!"

"He's beaten again!!!"

"Barça are in serious danger!!!"

"Bale whips in a cross from the left, all the way to the back post!"

"Suárez jumps for it!!"

"He heads it in!!!"

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

"3-0!"

"Manchester City lead 3-0!"

"In the 63rd minute of the second half, another lightning counter from Manchester City. Gareth Bale assisted Suárez with a header. Puyol tried to challenge for position, but Suárez leapt and buried the header!"

"My God, this was another threatening counterattack from Manchester City."

"Just moments ago we were saying City's second-half attacks lacked punch, but suddenly, their counterattacks are sharp and clinical. Barcelona have no answer."

"Without controlling the midfield, Barcelona's defensive line is completely exposed."

"0-3, Guardiola must be rethinking everything."

"A heavy defeat at home is bad news, no matter how you frame it. He needs to come up with a better and more effective solution."

"But looking at Barcelona's current squad, it seems there are very few tactical adjustments that can be made."

"At least tactically, Barcelona really don't have a better option right now."

…

When Gao Shen saw Suárez score with a header, he immediately raised both fists high in the air, as if sealing the victory.

The gesture was met with a chorus of boos and curses from over 90,000 Barça fans in the stands.

The Barcelona fans behind the away dugout even started throwing objects furiously toward the Manchester City bench, as if they wished they could stone Gao Shen to death right there at Camp Nou.

But unfortunately for them, the trick they used on Figo more than a decade ago doesn't work anymore.

"We've played really well tonight," Brian Kidd chuckled.

Gao Shen took a water bottle from Carlo, twisted the cap, and while drinking, noticed the furious expressions on every fan in the stands. It was as if each of them wanted to skin him alive, which made him sigh dramatically.

"I'm innocent!"

Carlo and Brian Kidd were briefly stunned, not understanding what he meant. But when they followed his gaze to the enraged fans behind them, they both burst out laughing.

Come on, things have reached this point and you're still pretending to be innocent?

Gao Shen ignored his assistants' reactions. He turned and glanced toward his old friend, Guardiola, feeling a rare moment of sympathy.

This wasn't the first time in Champions League history something like this happened. Juventus, for example, reached three finals in the 1990s but won only once—against Ajax on penalties. They lost the other two to Dortmund and Real Madrid. And in doing so, they upheld the 'tradition' of no team successfully defending the Champions League title after its reformation.

But Guardiola's situation was different. He was now stuck in a tactical dead-end at Barcelona.

Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Puyol, Piqué—these players had become not just symbols of the team but also the emotional backbone of Barcelona. They were unshakable figures in the dressing room.

Guardiola had strong bonds with them, but many were clearly on the decline.

Yet under these circumstances, Guardiola couldn't rotate them.

Forget selling them—he couldn't even bench them without immense pressure.

Even someone like Thiago Motta, who arrived with the pedigree of a Champions League winner, ended up as a substitute.

Puyol was the captain, and Piqué had an even stronger background.

Piqué was born into privilege. His grandfather was a former vice-president of Barcelona in charge of finance for two decades, a member of the Spanish FA's executive board, and once a UEFA representative. That kind of pedigree made Piqué's position unique.

In a team like Barcelona, rich-kid players play by different rules.

In Gao Shen's memory, Piqué held immense influence even before retiring, deeply involved with Catalan political circles and harboring big ambitions.

He likely wasn't content just being club president—he may have aspired to achieve what Laporta only dreamed of.

His background and interpersonal clout made him a central figure in the locker room.

The local player faction dominating the dressing room could be a good thing—or a very bad one.

It all depended on how the team was performing.

If you're winning, even problems can be spun positively.

But once you start losing, everything unravels.

In Guardiola's autobiography, Gao Shen once read a line that stuck with him. Guardiola said he left Barcelona for emotional reasons. He simply couldn't betray the old guard he had built so much with. So he resigned.

But even that decision sparked a conflict with club president Rosell and assistant coach Vilanova.

Gao Shen had long suspected that what was happening behind the scenes at Barcelona was a power struggle between interest groups.

In the end, Guardiola walked away.

Which, in hindsight, proved that Gao Shen was absolutely right to turn down Barcelona's offer.

Even Guardiola, a local hero, couldn't manage that dressing room. How could he, an outsider, possibly survive it?

If it had come to that, his own reputation would've been completely destroyed.

…

Down by three goals, Guardiola made changes.

Fàbregas came on for Agüero, and Thiago Motta replaced Sánchez.

This shifted Barcelona into a back-three setup.

Puyol, Thiago Motta, and Piqué formed the new back line, while Vargas and Alves moved up to play as wide attackers.

Busquets and Xavi held the midfield, with Fàbregas and Iniesta pushing forward, and Messi leading the line.

One clear result of this tactical switch was an immediate improvement in midfield control.

With Fàbregas, Iniesta, Busquets, and Xavi—plus Messi—Barcelona's control in the midfield and final third surged. Their passing and ball retention looked much stronger.

Flank play also improved, with both fullbacks participating actively in the attack.

This led to a wave of aggressive attacking play.

Gao Shen had to react quickly. He instructed defensive midfielders Rakitić and Yaya Touré to drop deeper, replaced Robben with David Silva, and switched to a 4-1-4-1 formation to bolster the team's defensive solidity.

Once Manchester City managed to stabilize, Gao Shen thought to himself that after the match, many media outlets and fans would probably criticize Guardiola for not making this switch earlier.

They'd say: Look, once they switched to a back three, the attack became smoother, midfield control improved, and even Manchester City struggled. Why didn't they play like this from the beginning?

To that, Gao Shen had only one response: Haha.

If Guardiola had started with that formation, Barcelona might've suffered an even worse beating from City's quick counters—especially with the defensive holes left on the wings.

The reason he dared to make this switch now was because he had survived City's early second-half burst and finally regained possession and rhythm. Only then could he take the risk.

If you really believe in it, why not use it from the start?

…

Barcelona's attack was aggressive, but Manchester City's defense was rock solid.

After all, Gao Shen spent three years coaching in Italy. His defensive setups weren't just for show.

If pushed, he could have his team defend a full 90 minutes without conceding.

Of course, this wasn't an ideal approach. It was too passive, and one mistake could unravel everything.

Still, Barcelona's onslaught was loud and intense—but they couldn't break through.

In the 76th and 83rd minutes, they created two dangerous chances inside the box.

One was from Messi, the other from Fàbregas, but both were neutralized by Neuer.

The German keeper was outstanding.

Manchester City found themselves in a difficult spot. Though they had several counterattacks, none truly threatened.

But in the end, the Blue Moon held firm, securing a 3-0 win at Camp Nou and keeping a clean sheet.

3-0. Manchester City shut out Barcelona!

Gao Shen conquered Camp Nou again!

…

When the final whistle blew, Gao Shen felt as though he could hear the sound of crying from the stands.

This scoreline had basically sealed Barcelona's fate.

But Gao Shen knew what to say afterward.

Whether in the dressing room or in front of the media, he would repeat the same message:

3-0 is the most dangerous scoreline in football.

Don't doubt it!

This match exposed Barcelona's weaknesses in brutal detail.

But beating Barcelona isn't easy.

Weaker teams can't even force those weaknesses to appear. Even if a stronger team exposes them, they may not be able to exploit them.

Still, this was a turning point.

Gao Shen believed Barcelona's difficult days were just beginning.

As the final whistle echoed, Guardiola walked over and shook his hand, showing the grace expected of a home manager.

But it was clear he looked dejected.

It wasn't just about the loss—it was the helplessness behind it.

"No matter what, I'd rather lose to you than anyone else," Guardiola said, trying to comfort himself.

Gao Shen was quietly moved.

But this… is professional football.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 843: Do You Believe in Miracles?

Gao Shen's prediction was absolutely correct.

After the battle at Camp Nou, the Spanish media placed almost all the blame squarely on Guardiola.

Mundo Deportivo released its post-match commentary immediately, and it consisted of only two lines:

"It was a game of disappearing acts."

"Messi was on the pitch but didn't play. Guardiola was on the bench but didn't coach."

The implication was clear—the criticism was aimed directly at Barcelona's top star, Messi, and their head coach, Guardiola.

Messi's performance in this match was undeniably disappointing. He failed to play at the level expected of a superstar. Against Manchester City's well-organized defensive setup, the Argentine's individual brilliance had no room to shine.

Daily Sports commented: The match against Manchester City proved that Messi's aura is fading. He no longer has the ability to intimidate or break down a top-class defense.

Barcelona's own media outlets believed that Messi's decline was directly contributing to the team's struggles.

Another glaring gap was in the players' running stats. Barcelona's players clearly ran significantly less than Manchester City's. Messi was the team's player with the least distance covered, drawing even more criticism.

Xavi ran 11 kilometers, a decent number, but still below his peak.

Messi ran under 8 kilometers, which was simply too low.

In comparison, Manchester City's right winger Robben covered nearly 11 kilometers.

Gareth Bale ran over 12 kilometers.

Even more alarming was that the Welshman was still sprinting and creating danger right up until the final whistle.

This data made it abundantly clear that Barcelona were outmatched physically in terms of running effort.

Yet their possession rate was extremely high.

Barcelona controlled nearly 70% of the ball throughout the match.

In other words, Manchester City had less than half of Barcelona's possession.

But despite that, the Premier League side created twice as many dangerous chances on goal. Spanish media agreed this was something Barcelona seriously needed to reflect on.

As for Guardiola, he came under a fresh wave of scathing criticism.

Especially regarding his starting lineup.

Daily Sports claimed Guardiola completely loses his composure when facing Gao Shen.

"He looked like a coward—hesitating in front of the man called Gao."

The Barcelona-based paper believed the team should have shown more aggression, pointing to the back-three formation implemented around the 60th to 70th minute as a clearly more attacking and better-controlled setup compared to the conservative 4-3-3 that started the match.

"It's obvious that Guardiola's cowardice prevented him from adjusting his tactics against a strong opponent."

Mundo Deportivo also argued that Guardiola "contributed greatly" to Barcelona's humiliating defeat.

"There's no doubt that he should be held responsible!"

"The team's opening was a disaster. Gao Shen and his Manchester City delivered a nearly perfect win to prove that Barcelona are not invincible at Camp Nou. It's a shame for Barça!"

The paper analyzed that Guardiola always seems to lack confidence when facing high-level opposition.

"In the final half-hour, it was clear that the back-three formation suited Barcelona's current setup better. But Guardiola refused to make the change, which is simply incomprehensible."

"No doubt, he is a great coach who built a great Barcelona team. But now, the club must seriously consider whether he can still lead them to glory."

Compared to the Catalan press' harsh criticism of Guardiola and Messi, the rest of the Spanish media took a more forgiving tone.

Real Madrid's mouthpiece AS pointed out that Manchester City's tactics were very typical of Premier League football, involving intense physical contact.

"The referee was too lenient at Camp Nou. It was unfair to Barcelona."

AS argued that under La Liga officiating standards, Manchester City's opening goal would have been disallowed and Rakitić penalized for a foul. But the referee let it go, and it led directly to a counterattack and goal.

Editor-in-chief Alfredo described Manchester City's performance as "like an armored tank charging into a bustling city."

"The referee, assistant, and goal-line officials all turned a blind eye to several of Manchester City's fouls."

Still, Alfredo admitted that behind the scenes, this was about Manchester City's understanding of the officiating style in the Champions League, and their meticulous preparations.

"Barcelona used to be good at this too, but after Guardiola's squad was repeatedly dismantled, their attention to these details has slipped. Right now, their understanding of refereeing standards is far behind that of Manchester City."

Alfredo said the 3-0 home defeat had basically sentenced Barcelona to elimination.

"Advancing is nearly impossible—unless a miracle happens."

"But Barcelona, do you believe in miracles?"

"Looking at Manchester City's calm, focused performance, producing a miracle against a team led by Gao Shen is harder than climbing to the sky."

After a night of media reactions, Manchester City's away victory dominated headlines across global outlets.

The authoritative British newspaper The Times ran a front-page headline:

Great Manchester City! One Foot in the Semis!

The Times stated that after beating Barcelona 3-0 away from home, a comeback seemed almost impossible. The key was that Manchester City outperformed Barcelona in nearly every metric—except possession and passing.

This proved that Manchester City were the more dominant team overall.

"Every Manchester City player was running, pressing, and working relentlessly."

"Robben and Gareth Bale were sprinting constantly to tear apart Barcelona's defensive structure, and Suárez covered 13 kilometers in the match."

The Times credited Manchester City's emphatic away win to their coach's tactical precision and the players' high focus and effort. It claimed the team already had one foot in the semi-finals and was now a top candidate to reach the final.

But The Times also warned that this wasn't the most frightening thing about Manchester City.

"What's truly terrifying is that this Manchester City team is clearly stronger than last season. Their performance has reached a whole new level. And right now, the team is in its perfect age bracket."

"Their core players are in their prime, and a wave of young talents is rising—De Bruyne, Henderson, Jerome Boateng, Sturridge, Hazard, and others."

The Times concluded that given Manchester City's current state, the club would remain a dominant force in European football for years to come.

"This is the only team in the world right now with a squad strong enough to truly compete with Barcelona."

The Guardian stated bluntly, "Manchester City Already Through to the Semis!"

The British media were overwhelmingly optimistic. In Champions League history, no team has ever overturned a 0-3 first-leg loss at home.

This suggested that Barcelona's hopes of a comeback had never happened before, at least historically.

The Guardian pointed out that the advantage was already substantial, and even in the return leg at the Etihad, Manchester City could extend their lead further.

"Gao Shen and his team employed a pragmatic yet extremely threatening tactical approach."

"Even when not dominating possession, City created more dangerous chances than Barcelona. They made the Camp Nou hosts look like a shell—full of possession, but hollow inside."

The Guardian also stated that Manchester City were now the top favorites for this season's Champions League. If Gao Shen could lead them to victory again, City would become the first team to successfully defend the Champions League title since its reformation.

Gao Shen would also become the first coach in history to win four Champions League titles.

Either accomplishment would be historic.

Even media outside the UK and Spain joined in praising Manchester City's performance.

Bild believed that Gao Shen and his Manchester City were inching closer to defending their title.

The German outlet reminded readers that this season's Champions League final would be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich, and Bayern Munich were determined to win it on home soil.

"Bayern's management has publicly stated multiple times that they want to win the Champions League at home!"

But now, Bild saw Manchester City as Bayern's most dangerous rival.

That is, the formidable Manchester City led by Gao Shen.

Bild highlighted that Manchester City were the favorites to reach the final from their half of the bracket, and Bayern should be fully prepared to face them.

"Gao Shen has reached the final three times—and won all three!" Bild noted with concern.

Kicker magazine also praised Manchester City's display at Camp Nou.

"Throughout the entire match, Manchester City gave Barcelona no clear chances. Conceding only three goals? Barcelona should thank Valdés. Despite conceding three, he was still among their best players."

Gazzetta dello Sport commented that Gao Shen once again proved himself to be the best manager in world football by leading his team to a comprehensive away win.

"Guardiola has lost to Gao Shen multiple times. He's beaten countless other coaches—but Gao Shen has never been one of them. This match was no different."

The Italian outlet expressed strong confidence in Manchester City and believed Gao Shen's experience would guide the team to another Champions League final and possibly another title.

"They're now even more favored than Bayern Munich, despite Bayern playing the final at home!"

L'Équipe stated that Manchester City had fully demonstrated their defending champion status, letting the world see their growth and progress.

"Gao Shen and his team humiliated Barcelona away from home. Both the match flow and final result showed that Manchester City fully deserved the win."

"In the return leg at the Etihad, Barcelona will likely find it almost impossible to turn things around. Gao Shen's side are expected to reach the semi-finals—and very likely the final."

"Looking across Europe, who can realistically stop Gao Shen and his team from becoming the first side to defend the Champions League title since the reform?"

L'Équipe concluded that, apart from Bayern Munich, it seemed no other team stood a chance.

(To be continued.)