Starting With Real Madrid

"A goal kick for Real Madrid."

"Leave it to Varane."

"Pass it forward. Verratti, go right."

"Carvajal moves up and plays the ball to Di Maria."

"A sudden stop, a fake, cuts inside, no pass to Higuaín, sends it back to Verratti."

"Here comes the chance. Verratti with a lobbed pass behind..."

"Cristiano Ronaldo is making a sharp diagonal run into the right side of the box..."

"Shields off Pablo with his body, controls it, and shoots!"

"It's in!!!"

"Cristiano Ronaldo scores again!!"

"4-1!"

"Real Madrid have scored four goals in just 31 minutes."

"This isn't the first time. We've seen that Real Madrid are just getting stronger and stronger."

"Despite major changes in midfield tonight, they're still showing incredible strength."

"Verratti's lofted ball was perfect, so clever."

"That's high-level football."

"Just when you think he has no space or option but to slow it down, he delivers the most dangerous pass from an angle you never expect. Who would've guessed that as Higuaín dropped back, Ronaldo would dart diagonally into the right side of the box?"

"But that's what makes this high-level football so captivating. It's always full of surprises."

…

The entire Santiago Bernabéu was in a frenzy.

Just eight minutes later, Real Madrid created another golden opportunity.

It was once again Di Maria and Carvajal combining on the right. Verratti attempted a pass toward Higuaín but it was blocked. However, Di Maria recovered and quickly returned it to Verratti.

The Italian midfielder switched play left and found Kaka.

After controlling the ball and shaking off his marker, Kaka advanced a step and played a diagonal through ball into the left side of the penalty area.

Deportivo La Coruña's defense was completely disorganized tonight.

Cristiano Ronaldo sprinted forward at full speed, outrunning Pablo and latching onto Kaka's through ball. In a one-on-one with the keeper, he coolly slotted it between the goalkeeper's legs and into the net.

"Hat trick!!!!!"

"Cristiano Ronaldo completes another hat trick!"

After scoring, Ronaldo stood in front of goal, turned, pointed at Kaka from a distance, and stretched out his arms.

The entire Bernabéu erupted.

The team swarmed him to celebrate.

"5-1!"

"The first half isn't even over, and Real Madrid are already steamrolling."

"Cristiano Ronaldo with yet another hat trick."

"We have to admit, his current form is unbelievable."

"Six league games, 11 goals. My God, there are no words."

"Under Gao Shen's leadership, he's hitting the best numbers of his career."

"With this momentum, we have every reason to believe he could score over 60 goals this season."

"Real Madrid's attack is simply electric!"

…

After Real Madrid took a 5-1 lead, the match began to wind down toward the end of the first half.

But just when it seemed like the scoreline would hold, in stoppage time, Real Madrid launched another attack from midfield after winning back possession. Casemiro intercepted the ball and played a diagonal ball to Carvajal on the right.

The right-back surged forward and carried the ball deep into Deportivo La Coruña's half.

After being tracked by a defender, he slowed momentarily. When Di Maria came over to support, Carvajal passed it forward to him and made an overlapping run into the box.

Di Maria understood immediately, returning the ball with a backheel flick into Carvajal's path.

Though not the biggest in stature, Carvajal had quick feet. He kept pushing forward after collecting the ball.

At the edge of the box, facing a defender, he feinted to go wide before suddenly cutting back inside with a smooth touch, never losing momentum.

After beating the defender, he laid it off to Higuaín and gestured forward.

Higuaín understood and didn't trap the ball. He just nudged it forward, switching direction with a quick pass into the right side of the penalty area.

Carvajal had timed his run perfectly, arriving just in time to break the offside trap with a give-and-go.

The Bernabéu erupted.

This was Real Madrid's own youth product, their very own talent!

Carvajal rushed into the six-yard box, faced the charging goalkeeper, stopped the ball, moved it to the byline, and with a quick recovery, finished from a tight angle into the empty net!

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"6-1!"

"Carvajal!"

"Real Madrid's young right-back with a brilliant solo run down the right, storming the box like a warrior charging into a dragon's den, and scores again for Real Madrid!"

"Brilliant!"

"This goal is a testament to Carvajal's individual ability."

…

As the crowd at the Bernabéu chanted Carvajal's name, Florentino, Butragueño, Valdano, and others in the presidential box looked on in disbelief.

They had known about Carvajal's potential. He had captained Castilla for two seasons, shined in the youth ranks, and earned the praise of many professionals.

But his perceived lack of attacking prowess meant he hadn't been promoted to the first team.

Jesé, Morata, Joselu, and others had all made it, but Carvajal was kept out under Mourinho. That changed after Gao Shen took charge.

Unexpectedly, the kid exploded with form.

"I didn't know we had such a strong full-back in the youth system. He doesn't look any weaker than Dani Alves," Florentino said in amazement. Was he really that good?

Indeed, Carvajal and Alves shared similarities in height and playing style.

The difference was that Alves had better technique, while Carvajal was stronger and faster.

"He benefits tactically," Valdano reminded with a smile.

This sophisticated tactical structure allowed players like Marcelo, Carvajal, and even Di Maria and Ronaldo to flourish. Di Maria especially had shined to the point where he was challenging Ronaldo in impact.

"Deportivo's defense was just way too poor tonight. They gave us too many chances," Butragueño added.

In reality, big wins like this can be misleading.

But regardless, Carvajal played exceptionally well tonight.

He's a product of Real Madrid's own system, and after such a performance, fans would surely remember him.

Now, Gao Shen faced a dilemma—Arbeloa or Carvajal?

"I noticed that young Casemiro," Valdano suddenly said.

Everyone looked at him immediately.

Casemiro was young but incredibly solid.

"He's physically strong and excels in duels. He reminds me of Sandro from Spurs. Brazil always produces this type of midfielder, but Casemiro has better feet and is a more precise passer."

"In this game, most people focused on midfield stars like Verratti and Kaka, not to mention Ronaldo and Di Maria. But I noticed that after we lost the ball, our defensive transitions were excellent. Deportivo couldn't even get past midfield, and that was largely down to Casemiro."

"Deportivo had only two shots in the first half, one on target, and that was their only goal."

Valdano's analysis surprised Florentino, Butragueño, and the others.

This was Real Madrid's real strength.

"So, does this mean we have a real chance against Barcelona?" Florentino asked hopefully.

Valdano and Butragueño looked at each other, then gave bitter smiles and shook their heads.

"Performing well against Deportivo and against Barcelona are two very different challenges. Two different levels. Two different playing styles. These young players still need more experience."

Butragueño agreed. "Varane's mistake earlier was really unnecessary. If that happened in a key match, it could be fatal."

The higher the stakes, the less likely a manager is to take risks. He'd rather play it safe than gamble.

One wrong move in a big game can be devastating.

Just then, the halftime whistle blew.

The entire Bernabéu applauded Gao Shen's team as they headed into the dressing room.

6-1. Another crazy first half from Real Madrid.

"I think it's time for changes," Valdano guessed.

Next Wednesday was the second round of the Champions League group stage, and Porto was a must-win match.

Now that the game was wrapped up, there was no reason to burn more energy against Deportivo.

"Gao Shen probably planned it that way—go all out in the first half, rotate in the second," Butragueño agreed.

…

As expected, during halftime, Real Madrid, with the result already secure, made two substitutions.

Cristiano Ronaldo, after scoring a hat trick, was replaced by Jesé. Marcelo was subbed out for Marcos Alonso.

From this point, Real Madrid shifted to a slower, more conservative game, focusing on possession, controlling the tempo, and letting Deportivo push forward.

But Deportivo were shell-shocked. They didn't dare push up aggressively.

In the 66th minute, Real Madrid capitalized on a mistake to win a free kick in the attacking third. Pepe muscled past the defender and headed it in from close range.

7-1!

Throughout the second half, Real Madrid created a few more chances, but either the players failed to finish, or they were denied by the defenders or the goalkeeper.

In the end, Real Madrid couldn't add to the score and wrapped up the match with a 7-1 victory over Deportivo La Coruña.

After the final whistle, the Bernabéu crowd stood up and gave the team a standing ovation.

It was the first time in two seasons that Real Madrid fans had applauded the team so passionately after a match. The applause lasted a long time.

Clearly, the fans were recognizing the team's transformation this season, especially in recent league performances.

And once again, this proved—

Gao Shen is the true Prince Charming Real Madrid had been waiting for.

(To be continued.)