Starting With Real Madrid

If on the pitch Real Madrid and Barcelona played out a derby at the highest technical and tactical level in the world, then at the post-match press conference, the media from all over the world started another kind of battle.

What triggered this confrontation was a seemingly insignificant detail in the match: Higuaín's yellow card.

A reporter from a Catalan outlet asked Gao Shen: Real Madrid has always called itself a gentleman's club and claims that its tradition is not to surround referees and shout for penalties on the pitch, yet Higuaín violated this tradition.

Gao Shen kept a smile on his face, but his tone was sharp.

"There is no doubt that Ferrero is an excellent referee, but some of his decisions during the match were wrong."

Gao Shen explained that he had spoken with Ferrero after the game and made his point clear.

"He said he would review the game afterwards, but that won't change anything."

"Just like Higuaín's yellow card!"

Gao Shen smiled and shook his head. "I don't know why, at this point, you are still fussing over a yellow card. Can it change the fact that the score was 3-0? Or do you think this yellow card can bring you some sort of comfort?"

These words were harsh, and the reporter's face instantly turned pale, clearly upset.

Someone nearby immediately spoke up to back him, claiming it was about Real Madrid's philosophy.

"Real Madrid's philosophy has always been simple. My players and I respect facts. The fact is that it was a handball. Even if you replay it 10,000 times, it is still a handball. So what?"

Gao Shen looked directly at the reporter, sneered, and asked, "We lost a penalty that should have been ours, and got a yellow card that never should have been given. You feel proud of that, don't you?"

"I am proud of Higuaín's courage!" That was Gao Shen's stance.

Sometimes, he truly marvels at these journalists.

The match itself was the real attraction. Why not focus on the game rather than on Higuaín's yellow card?

As for this match, Gao Shen said Real Madrid performed well, but…

"This is not yet our best."

Gao Shen reiterated, "Barcelona is a very mature team. I have always said that they have a very clear football philosophy. Their players have been playing together for many years and have a deep understanding. Some even say they can pass with their eyes closed."

"But my team is not there yet. We have just reorganized this summer. We are still in the polishing stage. At this point, we are nowhere near as complete as our opponents."

"What makes me proud is that my players carried out my instructions perfectly on the pitch, played a great match, and showed everyone that we are on the right path."

Gao Shen said that since this summer, many people believe Real Madrid has changed.

This is not only because they did not spend heavily in the transfer market this summer, but also because they let go of a number of star players.

In years with major tournaments, players who shine in those tournaments are often the ones most sought after.

For example, Özil, Khedira, and Coentrão were all players who performed well at the European Championship.

But after Gao Shen took charge of Real Madrid, he let these players leave and instead chose players like Modrić, Toni Kroos, and Verratti, who, while talented, were not considered big stars.

This is obviously somewhat out of line with Real Madrid's traditional style.

For the first time, Gao Shen responded directly.

"From this game, we can see that our players executed the tactics well, contained the opponent's attack, and under pressure, were able to launch fast, sharp, and precise counterattacks."

Gao Shen emphasized that this is no easy task.

"Anyone with doubts can think for a moment. How many teams in European football can do that? How many teams can win 3-0 at Camp Nou?"

Gao Shen also stressed, "In fact, if we hadn't been so unlucky, we could have scored at least five goals."

This was another undeniable fact.

Gao Shen further emphasized that this win will greatly boost the team's confidence and allow everyone to see Real Madrid's plan. Next, he will continue to refine and improve the team.

"I will say it again, Real Madrid's goal this year is to win the championship!"

"In recent years, Real Madrid has been far from winning trophies, which is a sad thing for all Real Madrid fans and players around the world. But now, through this El Clásico, we have shown them the team's growth and progress."

"We still have a lot of room to improve. I believe we will become stronger and more dominant, but we will never become a team like Barcelona. Our philosophy and our plans are completely different from Barcelona."

"But one thing I am sure of is that we will become stronger than Barcelona!"

After "knocking" Barcelona for a while, Gao Shen also reminded everyone that Real Madrid is currently one point behind Barcelona in La Liga.

"This is not an impossible gap, but it requires us to continue giving everything!"

…

Not only is Gao Shen full of confidence in Real Madrid's future, but so are the players.

After the game at Camp Nou, Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić, who played in El Clásico for the first time, was interviewed by reporters. He believed that Real Madrid had completed a great performance.

"We played very well. Everyone worked hard and defended very well. Our goal was to stop Barcelona from scoring, and we succeeded."

Modrić also gave his interpretation of Barcelona's possession advantage.

"In fact, we can also have more possession. We are capable of that, but before the match, the coach repeatedly emphasized that at this stage, we need to focus on more urgent things, such as defending."

"We still have a lot of room for improvement. We will continue to improve our possession game and attacking power. This is our potential."

As for Ronaldo, who scored twice, Modrić said, "He is the best player in the world and deserves the Ballon d'Or!"

Xabi Alonso also spoke highly of the match. He emphasized that the coach had predicted the flow of the game perfectly before it started. "He is like a magician. Everything happened exactly as he expected."

The Real Madrid midfielder said that this victory belongs not only to the players but also to the coach.

"Every time I talk to him, my eyes light up. He has knowledge and wisdom far beyond his age. Many of his words are full of insight. Although we have only been working together for a short time, I have already learned a lot from him."

"He is the best head coach I have ever worked with!"

Kaká, who came on as a substitute in the second half, did not score.

Before this match, he had been called up again to the Brazilian national team after two years, which made Kaká very proud.

"This season is a fresh start for me, for sure."

The Brazilian star said that Gao Shen and the coaching staff had given him great help, both in matches and in training, even tailoring specific programs for him based on his condition.

"From summer training until now, I haven't had an injury. My body is getting better, and my technique feels good. I am in good condition during training, so I can participate in more matches and get recognition from the national team."

Kaká once again expressed his gratitude to Gao Shen and the coaching staff, believing that Gao Shen was the key factor in his recovery.

"I hope to play in the World Cup in Brazil, but it won't be easy. I will keep working hard!"

…

There was harmony in the Real Madrid dressing room, and the players were fully convinced by Gao Shen. This was a point emphasized by Alfredo, the editor-in-chief of AS, in his post-match column, and he believed it was the key factor behind defeating Barcelona.

"High-level dressing room management has always been his specialty, and this time at Real Madrid is no exception."

"From what we've seen this season, the current Real Madrid team is on the right track and will soon catch up to Barcelona."

"There is no doubt this is a team with the potential to win titles. More importantly, this is also a team that inspires great expectations."

Compared with the jubilant media close to Real Madrid, Barcelona's local media were generally in mourning.

Diario Sport wrote that this humiliating defeat not only ended Barcelona's winning streak at the start of the season, but also shattered all the beautiful illusions surrounding Vilanova's team.

Before this match, some even boasted that Vilanova's Barcelona was the strongest in history.

After all, even during Guardiola's tenure, he had never been able to maintain such an all-round winning streak.

But now, the 0-3 loss at Camp Nou has torn away Barcelona's veneer, revealing that beneath the glitz, cracks have already begun to appear.

For example, despite having more than 70% possession, they created less than half as many shots as Real Madrid, and their threatening attacks were pitifully few.

Many Catalan outlets accused Real Madrid of being overly conservative, but the question is, who said Real Madrid must not be conservative?

Who said an opponent must attack Barcelona?

Accusing Real Madrid of being conservative is itself an arrogant form of self-righteousness.

Does the earth stop spinning without Barcelona?

Diario Sport concluded that the more blind confidence you have before a match, the bigger the gap will be after it.

But it would not be appropriate to dismiss Vilanova. After all, the league has only just begun. Barcelona is still top of La Liga and the Champions League. There is no need to change coaches now. That would only create chaos within their own ranks.

"But this match is like a wake-up call, reminding all of us that Real Madrid under Gao Shen is a team that truly has the strength to challenge Barcelona. It is our number one opponent for the La Liga title this season and even for the Champions League!"

Mundo Deportivo analyzed that Barcelona must quickly develop a Plan B — a way to win when their passing and possession game is neutralized.

Especially a way to break through a dense defense.

This will become a crucial question for Barcelona from now on.

(To be continued.)

***

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