Starting With Real Madrid

On the evening of October 3rd, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid.

In the second round of the Champions League group stage, Real Madrid hosted Portuguese side Porto.

As always, the Bernabéu was packed.

Since Gao Shen took over as Real Madrid's head coach, every home match had drawn a full house—not just in the regular stands, but also in the VIP boxes and executive suites.

Although Real Madrid's away form under Gao Shen hadn't been particularly ideal, their home performances had been excellent.

Just last round, they demolished Deportivo La Coruña 7-1 at home.

Their strong home form had won the approval of fans, and made every home match at the Bernabéu an unmissable event.

Besides, Gao Shen had become the prince charming Real Madrid fans had long awaited.

When Vilanova and Jordi Roura arrived at the stadium, blending in among the crowd, they witnessed a massive display from the fans in the South Stand—a giant mosaic that stretched across most of the entire section.

It was a giant photo of Gao Shen.

The entire display was made up of paper cards held aloft by the fans. It looked spectacular and was clearly the highest tribute they could offer their coach.

As they held up the mosaic, the fans shouted Gao Shen's name in unison.

This had become a tradition before every match at the Bernabéu.

"He's really beloved here," Jordi Roura said with genuine envy.

As a professional coach, receiving such respect and affection from a top-tier club's fans was a dream come true.

Especially at a club like Real Madrid. It was the lifelong aspiration of many in the profession.

Vilanova felt somewhat unconvinced in his heart, but he couldn't deny the envy in his eyes.

If only Barcelona fans would treat him like that one day...

…

The two coaches were very familiar with the Bernabéu and quickly found their seats.

By the time they arrived, the Real Madrid and Porto players had already completed their pre-match warmups and returned to the dressing rooms for final preparations. The fans' atmosphere in the stadium had reached a fever pitch.

Real Madrid fans are excellent at creating a raucous atmosphere, especially the ultras in the South Stand. When they go all out, their energy can rival that of any supporters group in the world.

At this moment, the starting lineups for both sides were announced.

Porto made no real changes, sticking with the same starting XI that had defeated Manchester City in the previous round.

Jackson Martínez led the line, with James Rodríguez and Varela on the wings.

In midfield were Fernando, Defour, and González. The center-back pairing remained Maicon and Otamendi.

Of note, Maicon shared a name with Inter Milan's famous right-back, but he was actually a tall central defender standing 1.91 meters.

Clearly, manager Vítor Pereira wanted to build on the success from their upset victory over Manchester City.

"Jackson Martínez will be a big threat to Real Madrid's back line, and James Rodríguez has excellent passing vision," Roura analyzed.

Jackson Martínez had been outstanding in the Portuguese league ever since joining, effectively stepping into Hulk's shoes.

Porto, as always, had a golden touch when it came to developing and selling strikers.

In 2009, they sold Lisandro López to Lyon for €22 million, then immediately signed Colombian striker Falcao from River Plate for €4.5 million—and sold him two years later for €40 million.

Then came Hulk, who after Falcao's departure, quickly rose to stardom before moving to Zenit for a staggering €50 million just this past summer.

Following Hulk's sale, Porto spent just €8 million to bring in Jackson Martínez.

One had to admire Porto's scouting and recruitment system.

From strikers alone, Porto had earned over €100 million in the last few seasons. Their business acumen was top-tier.

La Liga had its own versions too. Atlético Madrid had become known for their forward sales, and although Sevilla had fallen off in recent years, their scouting network—led by Monchi—was still legendary.

Monchi reportedly had more than 500 part-time scouts spread across the globe. It was said that as soon as a young talent emerged, even from a small youth side, the report would land on Monchi's desk.

Sevilla's consistent competitiveness in La Liga owed much to this vast network.

Porto worked similarly.

It was even possible that the two clubs' networks overlapped.

It wasn't unusual for scouts to work with multiple clubs.

Back when Kaka's agent was trying to promote him, he had sent the same resume and highlight videos to every major club in Europe—which was partly why Florentino had originally passed on him.

This season, a similar club had emerged in the Premier League: newly promoted Leeds United.

They had sold over €100 million worth of players in a single summer—yet still sat third in the Premier League standings.

It was unbelievable.

Even more incredible, the team played with an advanced tactical system.

And so, outside the pitch, people were murmuring: There's something strange about them. They must be using dark magic.

Hmph! I don't believe your sophistication! Vilanova thought to himself.

…

If Vítor Pereira's Porto had gone with a stable lineup, then Real Madrid's lineup announcement left both Vilanova and Roura stunned.

Even the Bernabéu itself reacted with audible surprise.

Di María wasn't even starting!

That was massive news.

Many would assume Real Madrid's primary scorer was Cristiano Ronaldo, with Benzema providing tactical support, Kroos, Modrić, and Xabi Alonso in midfield, and Di María as a supplementary option.

But in reality?

Within football circles, Di María was widely recognized as the most dangerous and impactful Real Madrid player this season.

Sacchi had even written in his column that Gao Shen's preference for Di María was obvious.

The Argentine didn't score many goals but racked up plenty of assists. In Gao Shen's advanced system, he had the most freedom—more than Modrić, more than Ronaldo.

He could play as a winger, an attacking midfielder, on the left, right, or centrally.

He changed positions multiple times during a match and excelled in all of them.

His flexibility had become a focal point of tactical studies across Europe.

Ronaldo's goals were vital, but Di María's importance was equal—and possibly greater in some matches.

But now, in such a key fixture, Gao Shen benched Di María and started Higuaín.

"Is he resting Di María?" Vilanova frowned.

Given his workload, Di María had indeed played a lot.

It was possible Gao Shen wanted him fresh for the Clásico.

"But isn't that a bit arrogant? This is Porto we're playing, the team that beat Manchester City," Roura questioned skeptically.

Real Madrid's best front three this season had been Ronaldo, Benzema, and Di María. Even when Higuaín replaced Benzema, Ronaldo and Di María remained constants.

Now Di María was out—it was strange.

There were no major changes in midfield: Kroos, Modrić, and Xabi Alonso all started.

Casemiro had done well against Deportivo, but Gao Shen clearly didn't trust the youngster in such a high-stakes match—which made sense. Young players were still raw and might not be reliable in crucial moments.

Vilanova, once a youth coach himself, understood this better than anyone.

He knew how to develop youth talent step by step.

And look—Arbeloa was starting at right-back again instead of Carvajal, who had starred last match.

At a club like Real Madrid or Barcelona, the pressure is immense. Throwing young players into major responsibilities too early could be disastrous, potentially pushing them off a cliff of expectation.

This was why so many youth stars failed to make the leap to first-team football.

"Real Madrid's squad is still a bit thin," Vilanova commented.

Roura nodded. "Good enough for one competition. But when they're competing on multiple fronts, they look stretched—especially in midfield and on the wings."

In midfield, Verratti showed flashes but still looked inexperienced. Kaka had been a pleasant surprise.

Someone in Gao Shen's staff clearly knew what they were doing. After a summer of special training, Kaka had regained some form. He was usable, but still far from his peak.

Isco still needed more development.

As for the wingers, Jesé and Vázquez were promising but green.

In many ways, Real Madrid's current squad depth was even weaker than Barcelona's.

Gao Shen had said he would rather go without than settle for the wrong player.

But now, he had to pay the price. Di María was benched, and Higuaín was forced into a wide role because Gao Shen didn't fully trust Vázquez.

"What I don't understand is—why would he take off Di María ahead of the Clásico? It's like cutting off your own arm," Vilanova muttered, racking his brain.

Was it some kind of tactical misdirection?

But that didn't make sense. What if they lost to Porto? Why bluff?

If Di María was injured, he could still sit on the bench.

"I haven't heard of any injury," Roura replied.

Even as both teams walked onto the pitch, Vilanova and his assistants still couldn't figure out Gao Shen's plan.

In the end, they reached a unanimous conclusion.

If you can't figure it out, stop trying.

God only knows what that weirdo Gao Shen is thinking.

Whatever it is, it's definitely not something good.

Barcelona better stay on high alert.

(To be continued.)