Starting With Real Madrid

Klopp has never concealed his admiration for this team, whether in public or in private.

He has even mentioned many times that he went to Italy to attend advanced coaching courses.

Although he is older than Gao Shen, that does not stop him from admiring Gao Shen's football philosophy.

He once joked that he was the most senior and experienced tactical analyst.

But no matter how much experience he has, when it comes to a real battle on the pitch, he still feels uneasy.

The more he understands Gao Shen, the more he realizes that Gao Shen's deployment of tactics has always been mysterious and unpredictable.

Before the fifth round of the Champions League group stage, Dortmund faced Fürth at home in the twelfth round of the Bundesliga.

After winning the Bundesliga title two seasons in a row, the Hornets' form has started to decline this season.

Especially after key players such as Sahin and Shinji Kagawa left the team one after another, the impact on Dortmund has been significant.

What makes Klopp feel it is a waste of talent is that after Sahin joined Real Madrid, he was barely used by Mourinho, and after Shinji Kagawa went to Manchester United, his progress was also far from smooth. This made Klopp feel angry and frustrated.

Those were treasures he had worked hard to discover!

After eleven Bundesliga matches, Dortmund was only in fourth place, 11 points behind leaders Bayern. Catching up was no longer realistic, so Dortmund could only focus all their energy on the Champions League.

The match against Real Madrid was a hurdle that the Hornets had to cross, and Klopp dared not be careless at all.

The match against Fürth was scheduled at noon.

Lewandowski scored after just three minutes, but Dortmund conceded a goal two minutes later.

In the 15th minute, Lewandowski scored a penalty, extending Dortmund's lead.

Before the end of the first half, Götze scored again, securing the win for the team.

After that, Dortmund played conservatively, preserving their energy and saving their strength for the Champions League on Wednesday.

After the game, Klopp handed the team over to the assistant coaches. He then took his two assistant coaches, Peter Kravitz and Zeljko Buvac, along with analyst Zeljko Ljaljic, and the four of them drove to Düsseldorf International Airport, dozens of kilometers away.

After hurrying to the airport and checking in, they soon boarded a flight to Madrid, the capital of Spain.

Three hours later, they finally arrived in Madrid.

Without even having time for dinner, they rushed straight to the Bernabéu Stadium in the center of Madrid.

After all that rushing, they just managed to arrive before the match began.

It had been a long, exhausting journey!

…

In the twelfth round of La Liga, Real Madrid hosted Athletic Bilbao at the Bernabéu.

As usual, the stadium was packed with Real Madrid fans.

When Klopp appeared with his three assistants, they were greeted by a deafening roar.

Especially with the unified chants organized by the fans, the atmosphere in the stadium was filled with energy and passion.

The whole world knows that the atmosphere at Dortmund's home ground is intense, but the Bernabéu is no less so.

Although the atmosphere was just as heated, there was a difference.

The Bernabéu has only seats, with a capacity of 76,000. Dortmund's home stadium, on the other hand, has many standing tickets, resulting in a larger number of spectators, and due to the steep stands, there is also a greater sense of pressure from above.

"By then, the twelfth man will also be our opponent." Klopp said in German to his assistants.

Everyone nodded.

The atmosphere at Real Madrid's home ground has always been strong, and since Gao Shen took over as coach, it has become even more intense.

When they found their seats, the starting lineups of the two teams were being introduced.

Real Madrid's starting lineup was packed with their main players.

Goalkeeper: Courtois.

Defense: Marcos Alonso, Ramos, Pepe, and Carvajal.

Midfield: Xabi Alonso holding, Toni Kroos and Modric playing ahead.

Attack: Ronaldo, Benzema, and Di Maria.

Since Gao Shen took charge of Real Madrid this season, he has made many changes, some of which caused huge controversy.

For example, trading Toni Kroos with Bayern Munich for Khedira.

At the start of the season, everyone criticized Gao Shen, thinking this was a very stupid decision.

But no one expected that Toni Kroos would perform steadily after joining Real Madrid, playing as a left central midfielder, a role completely different from his time at Bayern. His position was similar to his Leverkusen days but slightly deeper, which suited his strengths perfectly.

On the other hand, Khedira's form had clearly declined since joining Bayern, compared to his performance at the European Championship.

By now, no one could question Gao Shen's decision.

He also sold Özil, brought in Modric, promoted Courtois, and trusted Benzema.

Especially Benzema.

Klopp knows better than anyone why Gao Shen prefers Benzema.

Because Klopp himself prefers using Lewandowski.

Compared to Higuain, Benzema is far more versatile.

Real Madrid's biggest weakness now lies in their full-backs. Marcos Alonso and Carvajal are both promoted players, and they each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

"He really doesn't intend to hide anything, revealing his main lineup directly." Zeljko Buvac said with a wry smile.

Gao Shen's frankness made them feel a bit uneasy.

Is he really that straightforward?

Isn't the whole world saying that this guy is as cunning as a fox?

"Could this be a declaration?" Peter Kravitz asked cautiously.

Gao Shen's strength is known to everyone.

By revealing his main lineup now, he is basically saying: if we play like this today, we will play the same way in the Champions League midweek. Dortmund, do what you will!

Isn't this also a kind of psychological warfare?

…

As soon as the match started, Real Madrid launched a wave of attacks, not waiting for Athletic Bilbao to settle.

Gao Shen's attacking plan was extremely specific.

Less than two minutes in, Benzema received a through ball from Toni Kroos and took a shot inside the box, but it was blocked by the center-back.

In the third minute, Ramos sent a diagonal long pass, and Ronaldo's header was blocked.

In the fifth minute, Modric played a pass, Di Maria cut in from the right and curled a left-footed shot, but it went just wide.

In the seventh minute, Ronaldo cut in from the left and played a square pass. Di Maria's curler was easily collected by the goalkeeper.

Real Madrid opened with a fierce attacking tempo, giving Athletic Bilbao no room to breathe and making Klopp and his staff in the stands tense.

"When it comes to attacking, this really is a unique skill!" Klopp praised sincerely.

The assistants looked at each other and nodded.

Who could deny it?

The Basque Lions are never easy opponents, but from the very first minute, they were completely suppressed by Real Madrid, forced back into their own box.

After enduring Real Madrid's initial wave, Athletic Bilbao tried to launch a counterattack. In the ninth minute, Real Madrid intercepted the ball in their own half. Modric sent a long pass. Benzema controlled the ball and broke forward, sending it into the right channel.

Di Maria sprinted forward, went one-on-one, and chipped over the goalkeeper to score. 1-0!

The entire Bernabéu exploded like a boiling pressure cooker!

After taking the lead, Real Madrid didn't slow down but pressed on even harder.

In the 13th minute, Toni Kroos delivered a corner. Ramos found space and headed the ball into the net without any interference, making it 2-0!

In the 22nd minute, Real Madrid made another quick counterattack after an interception near the halfway line. Di Maria played the ball down the right side. Carvajal burst forward, caught up with it, and crossed into the box.

Benzema, without taking a touch, swept the ball into Athletic Bilbao's goal from near the penalty spot.

3-0!

…

Klopp and his assistants sat in the stands, feeling increasingly uneasy.

The Bernabéu was full of Real Madrid fans cheering, but Klopp and his staff were nervous.

Real Madrid's attack was too strong!

More importantly, Athletic Bilbao's midfield was completely overwhelmed.

Toni Kroos, Modric, and Xabi Alonso dominated possession, the ball, and the rhythm of the game. Athletic Bilbao could only defend and defend again.

But how could they stop Real Madrid's relentless attack?

"Honestly, if Real Madrid had played like this earlier, they would probably be leading their group." Kravitz said with a bitter smile.

"Gao Shen not only has excellent coaching skills but also an even stronger ability to adjust and correct mistakes. He can spot problems, fix them, and his improvement is remarkable." Buvac added, troubled. "The key is, how does he see these things?"

Marcelo and Arbeloa were injured, meaning both first-choice full-backs were out. This would be a disaster for any coach, but for Gao Shen?

He not only survived, but Carvajal's performance is improving rapidly, and he is becoming an important factor in Real Madrid's wing attack.

Isn't this exactly what Marcelo used to do on the left?

Before, everyone said that the combination of Ronaldo and Marcelo on the left, built by Gao Shen, was a nightmare for every team's right flank. Now it seems that Di Maria and Carvajal on the right could be just as dangerous.

In fact, they may not be any weaker.

"This guy really should be dissected!" Kravitz joked.

This was something Klopp often said when mentioning Gao Shen. It had become an inside joke among the coaching staff.

Klopp's expression remained serious, because he had noticed a very critical issue.

"Ronaldo is missing!"

Everyone froze for a moment, thinking back to the three goals. None of them involved Ronaldo.

This was completely unreasonable!

This is Real Madrid's top scorer and biggest star!

Near the end of the first half, Ronaldo finally made his mark.

He received the ball on the left, drew the defense's attention, and made a diagonal pass.

Benzema, in the middle of the box, held off the defender, controlled the ball, and laid it back to the edge of the box.

Toni Kroos followed up, took a touch, and powered a long-range strike with his right foot.

The ball flew like a cannonball into Athletic Bilbao's net.

4-0!

Clean and decisive!

(To be continued.)