When the ga reached the 37th minute, Barcelona once again slowly pushed across the halfway line.
Alves moved the ball from the right into the middle, Busquets controlled it and stepped into Real Madrid's half.
Spotting an opportunity, the Barcelona midfielder suddenly sent a through pass to the feet of the retreating ssi.
The Argentine superstar didn't even take a touch. He swept Busquets' pass behind him to the left.
Seemingly casual, ssi's pass sliced through Real Madrid's defense and landed on the left side of the penalty area.
Villa rushed forward and trapped the ball, but by then, Varane had already caught up.
The French center-back, hands clasped behind his back, shadowed Villa step by step like glue.
With no choice, the Spanish striker attempted a cross, but the ball went out of bounds.
Thunderous applause rang throughout the Bernabéu.
On the sidelines, Barcelona's acting head coach Jordi Roura covered his face in frustration, regretting the wasted chance.
ssi's pass had been subli. But Villa, no longer at his best, was neutralized by Varane's watertight defense, given no chance at all, and forced into a desperate cross that went out.
"Gao Shen is shaless tonight!" Roura cursed angrily.
"How can this be the style of a top coach?"
Look at Real Madrid on the pitch. Did they look like a top team, one led by a famous coach?
Their possession rate?
25 percent.
Like everyone else, Roura had expected Gao Shen to launch an early offensive, his trademark. Barcelona had even carefully prepared to counter Real Madrid's opening storm.
After all, Real Madrid had rotated nine players, while Barcelona had not. On paper, Barcelona held the advantage.
But instead, Gao Shen refused to attack. From the first whistle, Real Madrid dropped back.
That defensive wall had held for more than half an hour.
Roura had to admit Gao Shen's defense was excellent, layered, and flexible, making Barcelona's attacks fail ti and again.
But wasn't this too conservative?
So far, Barcelona had managed only one shot.
Real Madrid had only three.
The match wasn't particularly entertaining, but it was intense and played at a furious pace.
"His deploynts are always unexpected," Roura muttered, depressed.
Barcelona had no real answer to Real Madrid's defense.
Especially when Gao Shen set his team up this way.
ssi dropped deep several tis to get the ball, only to be harassed by Casemiro's relentless marking.
The Brazilian midfielder was strong, defensively tough, and tireless, a steel wall in front of Real Madrid's defense, repeatedly breaking up Barcelona's attacks.
And more importantly, he didn't just defend.
Courtois launched a goal kick long into the front.
Morata dropped deep, held off Busquets with his back, chested it down, and laid it off to Casemiro.
Casemiro imdiately drove the ball forward.
By then, Kaká and Verratti had already drifted wide, leaving space in front of Casemiro.
The Brazilian advanced into the 30-ter area. Xavi stepped forward to intercept, but Casemiro accelerated, used his body to shrug him off, and continued forward.
Sensing danger, Busquets closed in quickly, but Casemiro shifted direction, trying to play it right toward Vázquez.
Alba slid in and tackled the ball out.
Nacho recovered it, carrying it slowly along the right sideline.
Real Madrid eased the attack.
If the quick counter didn't materialize imdiately, they had to stabilize and reorganize.
With Nacho holding the ball, Real Madrid's shape reset. Vázquez moved over for support.
But Nacho didn't play him in. Seeing no space ahead, he sent it sideways.
Verratti ran across to receive it. Shaping as if to recycle, he feinted, skipped past Iniesta, and surged forward through the right channel.
At the sa ti, Real Madrid's forwards sparked into motion.
Jesé prepared to break on the left, while Morata, Kaká, and Vázquez all readied their runs. Morata even pointed ahead, signaling the path for Verratti's pass.
Verratti drove forward to the edge of the box. Glancing up, he chipped an inch-perfect cross with his right foot.
The ball dropped exactly where Morata had signaled. The striker charged through and, beating Thiago Motta and Piqué, powered a header toward goal.
The ball flew straight into the right corner.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"In the 37th minute, Álvaro Morata, the young Morata, scores the opener for Real Madrid!"
"That was only Real Madrid's fourth shot of the match!"
The Bernabéu erupted as fans leapt to their feet, roaring in celebration.
Morata sprinted off the pitch, arms outstretched in wild celebration. His teammates surged toward him, engulfing him in joy.
"Real Madrid's young players are leaving a deep impression tonight."
"We saw it just now, Verratti's burst from midfield suddenly broke Barcelona's shape."
"Barcelona's weakness was exposed. Once Iniesta was bypassed by Verratti, no one stepped up quickly enough to close him down, and that lapse proved costly."
"This is a serious problem for Barcelona."
…
On the sidelines, Gao Shen raised his arms and applauded Morata's brilliant goal.
After more than 30 minutes of defending, they finally struck.
But Gao Shen quickly strode to the touchline, reminding his players to stay calm and focused on defense.
Barcelona had just been stung. That wouldn't kill their spirit, it would enrage them.
The more impatient they beca, the greater Real Madrid's chances.
Especially with halfti approaching, Barcelona would almost certainly launch a furious response.
All Real Madrid needed was to hold firm, exploit that impatience, and counter decisively.
Gao Shen barked out instructions, calling each na from Verratti to Casemiro, from Varane to Pepe, and even Kaká.
As play restarted, Barcelona, just as Gao Shen predicted, stord forward desperately.
Roura, sensing the danger, shouted from the sidelines, urging his players to calm down and not rush.
But Barcelona's n on the pitch were like wild horses off the reins, uncontrollable.
Just four minutes after conceding, Real Madrid struck again, starting with a steal at the edge of their box.
ssi had dropped deep to receive, but Casemiro clamped onto him from behind.
The Brazilian didn't foul, he simply pressed ssi as he tried to control it, causing the Argentine to stumble and fall.
Barcelona players appealed, but the referee waved play on.
Casemiro reacted instantly, passing forward to Kaká.
The Brazilian midfielder stopped the ball and imdiately threaded a through pass behind Barcelona's high line, into the gap vacated by Alves.
Morata drifted wide, chased it down, drove forward, drew Thiago Motta, and just before being closed down, cut the ball diagonally into the middle.
Jesé arrived in full sprint, shaking off his marker with raw pace. He reached Morata's pass, burst into the top of the box, and fired before Piqué could close him down.
The ball ripped into the net, flying into the right corner.
Valdés was helpless.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"Real Madrid score again!"
"Jesé!"
"The 20-year-old Jesé has scored another for Real Madrid!"
"Another lightning counterattack!"
"As Gao Shen has long pointed out, Barcelona's defense is disorganized."
"Two goals in less than five minutes, both from counterattacks!"
"One has to admit, Gao Shen's analysis of Barcelona is spot on."
"But even more remarkable is this young Real Madrid side."
"First it was Verratti assisting Morata, now Morata setting up Jesé. The kids are stepping up!"
"Just look at Jesé's explosive run and finish. That carried a touch of Ronaldo about it!"
On the touchline, Gao Shen burst into laughter at Jesé's strike.
Turning, he saw Zidane approaching. Gao Shen embraced the bald Frenchman warmly.
"Well done, Zinedine. Your special training really worked."
Zidane had been coaching Real Madrid's young attackers—Jesé, Morata, and Benzema—in a specialized program.
Gao Shen had long felt Benzema's finishing needed polishing. Zidane had worked tirelessly on their composure and efficiency.
Now, Morata and Jesé had seized their monts.
For young players to finish so calmly in such pressure situations spoke volus about their potential.
"You have a great eye. These boys are sothing special," Zidane admitted in surprise.
Who would have thought, with nine rotations, that Real Madrid would be 2-0 up in the first half?
And with kids leading the charge?
But Gao Shen always found ways to shock the world.
That was exactly why Real Madrid fans adored him. Watching a young generation of Madridistas humiliate Barcelona at the Bernabéu—what could be more thrilling?
They were the future of Real Madrid.
"I told you, we have plenty of stamina," Gao Shen said with a smile.
When he said it before the season, people laughed.
When he said it at the start, people mocked him.
When he repeated it midway, people began to understand.
And now, Gao Shen wanted to ask one thing.
Are you convinced?
(To be continued.)
***
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