When Mauricio Pellegrino served as Benítez's assistant coach at Liverpool in the Premier League, he had heard Gao Shen's name many times and had also faced his Manchester City team on several occasions.
Unfortunately, over the past three years, Liverpool had struggled to beat Manchester City.
This summer, Valencia changed managers. After leading the team to an impressive third-place finish in La Liga, head coach Unai Emery fell out with club management and decided not to renew his contract. He left for Russia to coach Spartak Moscow.
The Bats initially wanted to bring back Benítez, but he declined. So they turned to Pellegrino.
The Argentine never expected that his first opponent after returning to La Liga would be Gao Shen.
What he didn't expect even more was that Gao Shen would make such explosive headlines right before the start of the season.
"If I can't win La Liga or the Champions League, I'll be fired!"
Gao Shen's declaration spread across the globe within hours, causing a massive stir among football fans worldwide.
How confident must you be to make such a statement?
If it had come from any other manager—even someone as renowned as Mourinho or Ancelotti—they would have been ridiculed. Did they think trophies were reserved for them?
But this was Gao Shen.
Surprisingly, few dared mock him. On the contrary, many media outlets tried to interpret his words, concluding that, on reflection, what he said seemed to make sense. Real Madrid really did have the strength to challenge for titles.
After all the analysis, people suddenly realized—Real Madrid looked quite formidable.
But Pellegrino knew much of the analysis was overblown.
What mattered more in Gao Shen's words was their impact on the players.
"What's the latest on Real Madrid?" Pellegrino asked, frowning, his expression serious.
Across from him was his close friend, Carlos Compagnucci. The two had come through the youth ranks and made their professional debuts together at Vélez Sarsfield in Argentina. They had played side by side in the title-winning team coached by Bielsa.
After retiring, Compagnucci had studied under legendary coaches like Bianchi. When Pellegrino accepted Valencia's offer, the first person he brought onto his coaching staff was this trusted friend.
"No news. Since returning from the U.S., Real Madrid has been training behind closed doors at Valdebebas. Not just us, even AS and Marca can barely get any updates."
After finishing, Compagnucci shook his head. "Gao Shen's approach has stirred up plenty of controversy in media circles."
In recent years, Real Madrid had followed the "traffic-first" model. The club had always welcomed media attention. Every move attracted headlines. The media thrived off it, and the club encouraged it.
But the downside was, Real Madrid had no secrets.
Under constant spotlight, every detail of the club was scrutinized.
That changed when Gao Shen took over.
"Looks like he's serious," Pellegrino said with a bitter smile.
Back when Gao Shen first coached Real Madrid, Pellegrino was still playing for Alavés in La Liga.
Interestingly, he was already 34 years old at the time. After facing Real Madrid in February, he lost his starting spot at Alavés. Just two weeks later, Real Madrid sacked Carlo and brought in Gao Shen.
That marked the beginning of Gao Shen's legendary coaching career.
So Pellegrino was very familiar with Gao Shen's first stint at Real Madrid.
Blocking the media out of Valdebebas? That was classic Gao Shen.
"From what I can see, he's trying to recreate the relaxed playing environment he built six years ago. At the same time, he's doing everything possible to push Real Madrid's stars."
Pellegrino recalled what Benítez had once said privately about Gao Shen.
"He's like a cunning fox. Every move he makes has a deeper meaning, like a hidden trap."
Now, Pellegrino fully agreed.
"We'll need to be careful. He always finds ways to surprise you," he warned.
"In the next two days, let's focus on defensive drills."
Like Benítez, Pellegrino also preferred the 4-2-3-1 formation.
This was not only Benítez's specialty but had also brought great success to Valencia in the past. It carried emotional weight for the club. Pellegrino hoped to use it to reignite the team's spirit.
After all, he had been a key member of Benítez's title-winning side.
…
"Valencia's defense will definitely be their main focus."
Ahead of the match, Gao Shen held a tactical meeting with the players in the conference room at Valdebebas. He explained the strategy and possible scenarios they might face in the game.
One key focus was a detailed breakdown of Valencia.
"Our scouts tracked every one of their pre-season friendlies. We've got detailed intel."
That's the benefit of managing Real Madrid.
Gao Shen had both the budget and the personnel to assign scouts to track warm-up matches and key opponents like Valencia.
Smaller clubs couldn't afford that kind of analysis.
"They'll stick to a 4-2-3-1, and the hallmark of that formation is high pressing."
"Pellegrino isn't a Benítez purist. He's also one of Bielsa's most trusted disciples."
Another of Bielsa's favorite pupils was Espanyol's head coach, Pochettino.
Interestingly, both Argentinians were former central defenders.
Whether during his playing days or as a coach, the fact that Pellegrino had earned the trust of a tactical master like Benítez spoke volumes about his football IQ.
Whether it's the 4-2-3-1 or Bielsa's philosophy, both advocate for high-intensity pressing.
"So I can say with certainty, Valencia will press high from kickoff. Their pressing will be aggressive and full of intent. Be mentally prepared."
Gao Shen was warning his players—Valencia wasn't to be taken lightly.
They finished third in La Liga last season and were aiming to break into the league's elite. This was a club with serious ambition.
Many assume La Liga lacks competition. That's not true.
Teams like Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, and Valencia are highly competitive in Europe and the league. The reason they seem weak is because Barcelona and Real Madrid are just too dominant, making others look inferior by comparison.
"I've said before, we're never afraid of teams that press. In fact, we welcome it—as long as we can match that intensity and stay composed."
Gao Shen looked around at the players seated before him.
"Trust me. If you follow my instructions, if you execute my tactics, we will win this match at the Bernabéu!"
Gao Shen was full of confidence.
What concerned him most was the players not following the game plan.
Home matches can be a double-edged sword.
Some teams, strangely, perform worse at home and better away. Why?
Because playing away means less pressure, and opponents are less conservative, which creates more space.
At home, fan expectations and media hype create pressure. It can weigh on the players and disrupt their flow. Sometimes, this becomes the root cause of underperformance.
Even Real Madrid had struggled with this.
Gao Shen wanted to transfer his belief to the players—make them feel like they had already won.
But in truth, he hadn't even finalized the starting XI.
…
Marcelo was Gao Shen's first-choice left-back, but he had just returned from the Olympics in mid-August. He was now following a preseason fitness plan designed by Buenaventura and Pintus.
So Gao Shen was left with two choices at left-back: Marcos Alonso or Arbeloa.
Both had one thing in common—they lacked Marcelo's attacking threat.
Right-back was also an issue.
Arbeloa was Spain's first-choice right-back at the European Championship. While not as flashy as Jordi Alba on the left, his performances were solid on both ends of the pitch.
Carvajal was the young player Gao Shen most wanted to promote, but his performances still lacked consistency.
There's a common issue with youth players at Real Madrid. They often perform well in the academy or on loan but struggle once promoted to the first team.
The real issue is pressure.
Playing for Real Madrid comes with immense weight.
It's not just internal competition or pressure from fans and media—it's the pressure players put on themselves.
Remember Asier Illarramendi?
Was he not talented?
Real Madrid paid a hefty fee to bring him in.
The season before he arrived, he was the best midfielder in La Liga, full of potential.
But once he joined, everything fell apart.
Later, in an interview, he admitted he was too young and couldn't handle the pressure, which led to his disappointing performances.
That's the problem.
Now, Gao Shen was wondering—can Carvajal handle the pressure?
Is it right to start a second-team player in the opening match of the new season?
Then there's the striker dilemma.
Gao Shen preferred Benzema, but Higuaín had performed well in pre-season. Who should start?
If he stuck with Benzema, would it send the message that pre-season performances didn't matter?
But if he went with Higuaín, could he deliver what Gao Shen wanted on the pitch?
Sometimes, the difference between big clubs and others is that big clubs have more options.
But too many options can be a curse.
And right now, Gao Shen was dealing with that very headache.
More importantly, he had to win the first game of the new season!
(To be continued.)