Starting With Real Madrid

In the Club World Cup semi-finals, Manchester City faced Al Sadd.

Al Sadd's head coach, Uruguayan Jorge Fossati, deployed a 4-5-1 formation with three defensive midfielders, clearly showing his caution against Manchester City.

Only Mamadou Niang was left up front, prepared for counterattacks.

Since arriving in Abu Dhabi, Manchester City had maintained a relaxed schedule. Players were given time off to travel and explore, and training sessions were open to fans and the media, creating an atmosphere of ease.

But when it came to the match, Manchester City took it very seriously.

FIFA has strict requirements for participating teams in the Club World Cup regarding player appearances. Star players must feature in the matches. This is because some teams in the past fielded reserve squads, which severely impacted the tournament's revenue and reputation.

But Manchester City was different. Their squad was simply too strong.

Gao Shen chose to rest several core players for the final three days later.

After kick-off, Manchester City repeatedly fell into Al Sadd's offside trap.

The match was completely under City's control, but they struggled to break the deadlock.

It wasn't until the 17th minute that Manchester City finally created a clear chance inside the box.

While an Al Sadd defender was attempting to clear the ball, Yaya Touré charged in and blocked it with his body.

Van Persie reacted quickly, seizing the rebound and firing a low shot from near the penalty spot. The ball went straight into the net, giving Manchester City a 1-0 lead.

Just eight minutes later, Hazard crossed from the left side of the penalty area. The ball was initially blocked by a defender, but Zabaleta collected it on the right side, dribbled into the box, and smashed a volley to make it 2-0 for City!

Then, in the 34th minute, after a run from Leighton Baines, Hazard dribbled past four defenders and fed the ball to Van Persie. The Dutch striker calmly finished, scoring his second goal of the match.

3-0!

What stood out was that Al Sadd didn't register a single shot in the entire first half.

Not even a speculative long-range effort.

In the second half, Manchester City continued to dominate, creating chance after chance.

In the 64th minute, Hazard delivered a through ball and Yaya Touré tapped it in from close range, making it 4-0.

In the 71st minute, Henderson played a through pass, Leighton Baines made a sudden run into the left side of the box, and slotted home a low shot to make it 5-0!

At that point, Manchester City eased off and began to conserve energy.

Al Sadd didn't register their first shot until the 76th minute.

This performance highlighted the significant gap between Asian and European professional football.

Even the AFC Champions League winners couldn't manage a single shot against Manchester City.

…

Three days later, in the Club World Cup final, Manchester City faced Santos.

From the start, Manchester City took the initiative.

This time, Gao Shen fielded a full-strength lineup, which was also in accordance with FIFA's regulations.

The players gave their all—after all, this was a world championship.

Gao Shen reminded his defenders to pay close attention to Neymar, but once the game started, it seemed unnecessary.

Manchester City's dominance was overwhelming.

In the first ten minutes, City focused on ball control, organization, and attacking. Santos was pinned back, forced to defend.

It wasn't until the 11th minute that Santos found a chance to launch a counterattack.

Ganso passed to Neymar.

The Brazilian star dribbled toward the top of the penalty area. Facing Javi Martínez, Neymar chose not to pass and attempted to beat him one-on-one. But Javi Martínez was ready—he stepped in, used his body to shield the ball, made the interception, and launched a swift Manchester City counterattack.

Coincidence?

Not at all. In the 15th minute, Santos launched another counter.

Ganso played a through ball, hoping Neymar could get behind City's center-back Jerome Boateng.

Clearly, Santos had done their homework. They knew Boateng was often seen as a weak link in City's defense.

But they overlooked a key point—weakness is relative.

Against top European teams, Boateng might be a vulnerability. But for Santos…

Neymar chased the ball, trying to outpace Boateng, only to realize that the tall and powerful defender wasn't slow at all. Boateng used his body well, shielded the ball, and with his long legs, intercepted it cleanly. He then turned, protected the ball, and passed it up to David Silva.

The Santos players were likely stunned.

Are all European center-backs this good?

This time, David Silva made no mistake. He sent the ball to Robben on the right.

Robben cut inside from the flank, shook off his marker, and smashed a left-footed volley past the keeper. 1-0 to Manchester City!

Just four minutes later, City launched another quick counterattack. Lichtsteiner passed to Robben, who dribbled into the box and took a shot.

The keeper managed to push the ball to the left, but Gareth Bale followed up with a left-footed finish to make it 2-0!

…

It was all but over!

Gao Shen clapped hard on the sidelines, applauding his players.

Carlo and the others did the same. Thunderous applause filled the stadium.

This was the power of the Champions League winners!

"Is he really worth 45 million euros?" Brian Kidd asked in confusion.

Neymar hadn't made any meaningful contribution. His dribbling and individual efforts had been ineffective, and he hadn't even taken a shot. Was he really worth that price tag?

More importantly, his mohawk haircut looked really stylish.

Gao Shen and Carlo exchanged glances and laughed.

You couldn't blame Brian Kidd for having doubts. Brazilian players rarely succeeded in the Premier League. For a long time, the league was even considered a graveyard for Brazilians—until Juninho and Gilberto Silva proved otherwise.

So the Premier League community didn't know much about Brazilian players.

"Don't think it's expensive. You won't be able to buy Neymar for 45 million euros anymore," Gao Shen said with a smile.

"Seriously? Based on what we've seen?" Brian Kidd remained skeptical.

Gao Shen couldn't exactly tell him Neymar was just out of form in a big game.

Actually, Gao Shen didn't think Neymar played badly. He just wasn't used to the tempo.

It wasn't just Neymar. Many Brazilian and Eredivisie players faced similar issues.

Why do players with good performances in big tournaments sell for high prices?

It's simple. Cup competitions, especially ones like the World Cup, European Championship, and Champions League, truly test a player's abilities.

Whether it's a donkey or a racehorse, you'll know once the match starts.

Neymar's poor performance tonight wasn't because of poor form. He simply couldn't adapt to Manchester City's tempo and defensive pressure.

Brazil's domestic league has a much more relaxed style, with less defensive intensity. Brazil promotes attacking football, and defensive players aren't particularly appreciated.

This creates a problem—players who thrive in a slow-paced, lax environment find it hard to adapt to European football, leading to a sharp drop in performance.

Coincidence?

Not at all!

Most fans are familiar with the top scorers in the Eredivisie. Aside from Luis Suárez, most have failed to make an impact in top European leagues.

Players like Kežman and Afonso Alves dominated the Eredivisie, but flopped once they moved to bigger leagues. Even Kuyt, who scored loads in the Netherlands, became more of a workhorse at Liverpool.

That's because the Eredivisie is slow-paced and loosely defended, giving attackers time and space.

In top leagues, especially the Premier League, there's no such luxury.

As Wenger once said: if you hesitate even for a second after receiving the ball, the defender will already be in your face.

That's why even a talent like Neymar struggled to keep possession against Manchester City.

Of course, with Neymar's ability, once he adapts, he'll certainly deliver.

But Manchester City had no intention of giving him time to adjust.

Before halftime, Lichtsteiner crossed from the right. Suárez controlled the ball, dribbled past center-back Bruno, and scored. 3-0!

In the second half, City continued their relentless attack on Santos.

In the 72nd minute, Gareth Bale dribbled past the goalkeeper and finished into an empty net. 4-0!

That was Manchester City's final goal of the match.

…

Neymar eventually had a few decent moments. After City pulled back slightly, he managed a shot and took a direct free kick—but neither effort resulted in a goal.

The Brazilian star looked visibly frustrated.

He had clearly hoped to prove himself against Manchester City.

Everyone knew that City had the money, the players, and the trophies—truly the model modern club.

But after a performance like this, Neymar was too embarrassed to even greet Gao Shen after the final whistle. He left quietly.

Gao Shen didn't care. He had no interest in picking up a "project."

Given his current status and reputation, he didn't need to worry about players' feelings.

On the contrary, Felipe Anderson, who had been on the bench the entire match, waved to Gao Shen from a distance, though he didn't dare approach.

Gao Shen walked over himself and exchanged a few words with him.

Their conversation was interrupted when former Manchester City player Elano came over to greet Gao Shen.

Elano had come on as a substitute in the 30th minute of the first half in an attempt to strengthen the attack, but he failed to make any real impact.

It was Gao Shen who had sold him back then, but now, Elano still seemed friendly with him and the club.

(To be continued.)