Thanks to Suarez's goal, Manchester City defeated Manchester United 1-0 at home.
This once again triggered heated discussions in the British media.
However, soon after, in the 13th round of the Premier League at the weekend, Manchester City's winning streak finally came to an end.
With the recent intense schedule of two matches per week, especially against strong opponents, Manchester City rotated heavily for their away game against Fulham and ended up drawing 0-0 with the London side.
This time, the heavy rotation did not achieve the desired effect.
The main reason was that Gao Shen rested Suarez, Van Persie, Robben, Gareth Bale, and several other key starters, which greatly impacted Manchester City's attacking power.
After thirteen rounds, with twelve wins and one draw, the record was still impressive enough.
After the match, Gao Shen stated that drawing with Fulham was not a bad thing for Manchester City.
"Take a break, and we can go even further!"
To help the players recover, Gao Shen even granted the team two days off the following week for rest and adjustment.
One week later, in the 14th round of the Premier League, Manchester City bounced back and defeated Birmingham 5-0 at home.
Suarez started and scored a hat-trick, while Zabaleta and Rakitic each added one goal.
This convincing victory once again validated what Gao Shen had said.
The draw against Fulham was just a brief pause for Manchester City.
After the Birmingham match, the team rested at Carrington for two days before flying from Manchester to Madrid.
…
Despite being the opponent, and despite Real Madrid being in a difficult situation, Gao Shen and his team received a warm welcome from the Madrid media and fans upon arrival.
Many journalists and hundreds of fans gathered at Madrid Capital Airport to greet Gao Shen and Manchester City.
From the fans' enthusiastic cheers, it was clear that almost all of them were there for Gao Shen.
Some Real Madrid supporters even held up signs pleading with Gao Shen not to leave.
This scene surprised the Manchester City players.
They had always heard about how highly Gao Shen was regarded at Real Madrid, but seeing it with their own eyes was something else entirely.
In fact, the respect he commanded was even greater than they had imagined.
"I never realized the boss is this popular!"
"Seriously. This is the first time I've seen home fans come to the airport to welcome the visiting team. It's unreal!"
"Hey, maybe we should go easy on Real Madrid this time?"
The City players joked among themselves.
In truth, all the fans at the airport were there for Gao Shen alone. The players were mostly ignored.
Even when people asked for autographs or photos, they were solely focused on Gao Shen, leaving the City squad standing awkwardly by.
This made the Manchester City players feel a mix of amusement and envy over their coach's popularity.
"Isn't it strange?" Sturridge asked, puzzled. "Real Madrid are in this mess mostly because of our boss, yet their fans don't hate him?"
Everyone knew that Real Madrid's current third-place position in the group was certainly linked to their loss against Schalke 04, but the 5-0 defeat to Manchester City in the first round was also a critical factor. Many viewed that humiliating loss as the true cause of their current crisis.
Yet the Real Madrid fans did not seem to blame Gao Shen at all.
"You don't get it," Robinho said, looking toward Gao Shen with admiration.
He had once dreamed of being loved by Real Madrid fans like this, but never came close.
"For Real Madrid supporters, the boss is like an oasis in the desert. The team he coached represents the last period of glory and pride for Real Madrid."
Rather than simply admiring Gao Shen, the fans admired what he symbolized—the star-studded Real Madrid side that won the double in 2006.
People are often full of contradictions.
So many had criticized Gao Shen back then, yet now so many had changed their minds.
As Gao Shen's reputation in European football continued to grow, so too did his status in the hearts of Real Madrid supporters, turning him into a symbolic figure, a spiritual totem.
The worse Real Madrid performed, the stronger the fans' longing and nostalgia for Gao Shen became.
Some called it unrealistic fantasy.
Others said that the fans simply needed something to hold on to.
"Trust me," Robben added, watching Gao Shen signing autographs not far away, his eyes complex. "If he ever returns to Real Madrid, the reaction will be unprecedented. He is the superstar that Madrid yearns for most."
"Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Di Maria, Benzema… all of them together can't compare to him!"
The City players were stunned by Robben's words, but looking at the swelling crowd around Gao Shen, they had no choice but to believe it.
…
The news of Manchester City's arrival quickly spread across Madrid.
At the Bernabeu, Florentino received the update first.
Sitting in the president's office, Florentino's expression was heavy and tense.
He was anxious.
In La Liga, Mourinho's team had performed well. Twelve matches played, ten wins, two draws, remaining unbeaten, and holding a one-point lead over Barcelona. In their last two league matches, they had defeated Atletico Madrid 2-0 in the Madrid derby and then beaten Athletic Bilbao 5-1.
From a league standpoint, Mourinho's Real Madrid were doing an excellent job.
But at Real Madrid, the league has never been enough.
The Champions League has always been the club's top priority.
And in the group stage, Mourinho's record was one win, one draw, and two losses, placing the team third.
If Real Madrid were to drop into the Europa League, it would be an unacceptable outcome for their supporters.
"Judging from what we've seen so far, Gao Shen has no intention of going all out," Valdano tried to reassure Florentino.
That was the good news.
Based on the squad Manchester City had brought to Madrid, aside from Robben and Neuer, none of the main players had traveled. Suarez, David Silva, and Rakitic were all left behind in Manchester.
It was clear that Manchester City, having already secured qualification, were rotating their squad.
"How confident are we?" Florentino asked anxiously.
Valdano paused, glancing at Zidane and Butragueno. Both were silent.
It was not an easy question to answer.
"Honestly, it's hard to say," Valdano admitted with a bitter smile.
Florentino shook his head and gave a wry smile.
"I figured as much. I've already prepared for the worst."
Valdano nodded seriously. "You know, I've never liked Mourinho. I don't like his style of football, his personality, or the way he handles things. But even so, I still say this: don't rush to change the coach."
Florentino looked at him deeply, trying to read between the lines.
Finally, he nodded slowly. "I'll consider it."
After a brief silence, he asked again, "How should we approach this match?"
"They'll likely attack," Butragueno replied.
"Likely?" Florentino raised an eyebrow.
Given the circumstances, there was still uncertainty?
"Gao Shen is excellent at attacking, but we cannot ignore his defensive capabilities," Butragueno explained. "It seems he will rotate heavily and focus on practicing with his substitutes. But we cannot underestimate him."
Florentino let out a long sigh. His mind drifted back to 2006.
Time flies. In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.
Back then, he had just stepped down as president. Now he was back.
"I still remember all of you telling me how solid his defensive system was," Florentino said, smiling faintly.
In his eyes, Gao Shen had always been the best candidate to coach Real Madrid. But fate had kept them apart.
Sometimes, when you miss a chance, it never comes again.
"Besides, he's excellent at attacking as well," Butragueno added. "It's possible that he'll start on the front foot and then shift to a defensive counterattack."
Zidane, who had been silent until now, chuckled softly. "That's his signature move."
The group couldn't help but smile.
They were all Real Madrid executives, but also people who knew Gao Shen very well.
Florentino stood, walked slowly to the window, and gazed out at the Madrid night.
By this time tomorrow, the match would be underway.
It would be the decisive match for Real Madrid's season. If they failed to beat Manchester City, elimination from the Champions League group stage was likely. And when that happened, the fans' fury could ignite uncontrollably.
If results did not improve, Mourinho would be the first target, but Valdano and even Florentino himself might also be dragged into the storm.
Real Madrid's supporters always expected greatness.
The team might be leading the league for now, but with Barcelona waiting, nothing was guaranteed.
Until they defeated Barcelona, the lead meant little.
Florentino turned back toward his team, adjusting his glasses.
"I wonder how things are going at Valdebebas."
Yes, how was Mourinho preparing?
…
At almost the same time, in Valdebebas, on the outskirts of Madrid.
Mourinho stood in front of the window, looking out at the empty training ground, deep in thought about tomorrow night's match.
Conflicted, torn, and hesitant.
He knew that this was a must-win game.
But the key question was… how to win?
Facing such a strong opponent, who could truly guarantee victory?
(To be continued.)
***
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