What should a team do when it lacks the confidence to win and must face a strong opponent away from home?
This is a tough question every Champions League manager must answer.
Fighting on two fronts while also dealing with international duties creates overwhelming pressure, leaving no room to breathe.
There's not even space for hesitation.
The wisest strategy is to prioritize stability.
Just as military positions constantly shift and water changes shape, football tactics must be adaptable.
Refusing to adjust your tactics without the confidence to dominate is simply reckless.
So, in this away match against Dortmund, Gao Shen opted for a defensive and counterattacking approach.
He knew Klopp would try to drag Real Madrid into a high-intensity, attritional battle. But Real Madrid couldn't afford that kind of fight.
Ramos had returned from international duty with an injury.
Gao Shen originally planned to rest him against Sevilla, but the injury flared up during training. The team doctor ruled him out, so Gao Shen had to start Varane in his place.
The French center-back had performed well in the Sevilla match.
Higuaín, Benzema, and Xabi Alonso all came back carrying knocks—not severe enough to sideline them entirely, but enough to affect their form.
This partly explained the draw against Sevilla.
But such things are difficult to explain clearly.
Professional football has no sympathy for the weak. The media only adds fuel to the fire.
So when facing Dortmund away, Gao Shen took a pragmatic approach and played it safe.
A draw on the road would have been satisfactory.
Going all out to attack Dortmund at this stage would have been unwise.
If Real Madrid wanted to attack, they could wait until they were back at the Bernabéu.
As many had said, after three years in Serie A, Gao Shen's defensive capabilities had improved. When he truly wanted to defend, even with three technical midfielders on the pitch, breaking down Real Madrid wasn't easy.
Dortmund maintained their signature high press, constantly pushing Real Madrid back. But Real Madrid relied on their technical superiority, using passing, possession, and tempo to pull Dortmund out of shape.
But Klopp's team never seemed to run out of energy.
In the first half, Real Madrid's best chance came from a long ball over the top.
Varane intercepted a pass and quickly released Toni Kroos, who sent a direct ball over the defense. Ronaldo broke through and scored with a one-on-one finish.
But the referee immediately blew for offside.
Everyone on the Real Madrid bench was furious. Gao Shen loudly protested from the sideline, insisting Ronaldo had been onside.
At halftime, Gao Shen even showed the referee replays from the live broadcast, which clearly showed Ronaldo was onside.
But what could they do?
In the second half, Dortmund began to tire and their attacking rhythm slowed. Real Madrid gradually improved, but Di María wasted a golden one-on-one opportunity.
Time passed quickly as both sides used up all three substitutions.
Just when it looked like Real Madrid would escape with a 0-0 draw, disaster struck in the 88th minute.
Dortmund launched a lightning-quick counterattack. Captain Sebastian Kehl played a diagonal ball, and Marco Reus sprinted past Marcelo on the left.
Pepe stepped up to close him down. Xabi Alonso dropped into the back line, partnering Varane to mark Lewandowski.
At the critical moment, Reus pulled the ball back to the edge of the area. Piszczek, arriving late, chipped a cross from the right corner of the penalty area.
Xabi Alonso got to the spot first, but he mistimed his clearance and missed the ball.
Lewandowski took a step forward, used his body to shield Varane, and smashed it in from close range.
1-0!
…
Lewandowski again!
Gao Shen's expression on the touchline darkened.
In last season's Champions League group stage, it was Lewandowski's goal that eliminated Real Madrid.
Now, in their first meeting this season, the Polish striker struck again.
And once again, it was in the 88th minute.
Gao Shen couldn't help but feel like fate was toying with him.
Real Madrid had endured Dortmund's high press for nearly ninety minutes, only to concede at the end due to one mistake.
"Xabi was probably affected by his injury," Zidane said.
Gao Shen nodded. He understood. Xabi Alonso had come back carrying a knock.
"Does this count as a bad start?" Gao Shen asked.
Zidane, Hierro, and Carlo exchanged glances and gave bitter smiles.
Of course.
They had just lost their opening match in the Champions League group stage, conceding in the final minutes.
"Actually, our performance in these two games wasn't bad," Zidane said.
"I know," Gao Shen replied. "But not good enough."
Professional football is brutally realistic.
Performance means nothing if the result doesn't follow.
Real Madrid had played well, but compared to Dortmund, it wasn't enough.
Judging by squad quality, Real Madrid had the advantage. But Dortmund's tactical system was more mature, and their teamwork more fluid.
Klopp had also clearly prepared thoroughly for this match.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was, Real Madrid came away with zero points. That drastically reduced their margin for error in the group stage, especially against Manchester City.
Real Madrid were capable of competing with City, but it would be a high-risk battle.
If they had drawn or beaten Dortmund, the pressure would've eased considerably before facing City.
"By the way, is it still 0-0 in the Manchester City game?" Gao Shen asked.
While Real Madrid visited Dortmund, Manchester City were away to Porto. Both were on the road.
Carlos Vargado quickly checked the live scores and replied in surprise, "Manchester City is behind."
"What? Really?" Hierro was shocked.
"In the 84th minute, Fernando assisted James Rodríguez for a goal. 1-0. Porto leads," said Vargado.
Everyone turned to look at Gao Shen again.
At that moment, Gao Shen didn't know what kind of expression to make.
Happy?
A little. Manchester City were also losing.
Pity?
Yes. If Real Madrid had beaten Dortmund, the situation would look very different.
Worried?
Absolutely. This group was truly a group of death.
Especially this season's group.
Manchester City and Dortmund were both good enough to reach the Champions League final. Who wouldn't be afraid?
It served as a warning to every team. Relax even a little and you might be punished.
This was a super group of death!
Even a powerhouse like Manchester City had stumbled. So why couldn't Real Madrid?
…
Gao Shen's Real Madrid and Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City both lost their opening away matches in the group stage.
The two teams, suffering together, were questioned and even criticized by their respective media after the matches.
Pellegrini's situation was predictable. Replacing Gao Shen meant any poor result would bring scrutiny.
Manchester City had declined slightly since last season's peak. Their performance had dipped noticeably. With so many big stars in the squad, Pellegrini was under enormous pressure.
Most notably, the squad rotation system that Gao Shen managed so well no longer worked under Pellegrini.
How do you rotate superstars?
Still, Manchester City remained strong. The Blue Moon were still favorites.
Real Madrid's situation was more complex.
Losing their first Champions League group match and drawing twice in the league wasn't a great start, but it wasn't catastrophic either. The results didn't meet expectations, but they weren't a disaster.
For a team going through a coaching change and structural transition, this was understandable.
But the partnership between Gao Shen and Real Madrid had created such high expectations that no one wanted to accept the current results.
Once again, Gao Shen took full responsibility at the post-match press conference.
He acknowledged that international duty had an impact.
"It's clear that players return from national teams in worse condition than they left. It's a reality."
"I've been searching for a solution, but haven't found one yet. It reminds me of a line from Wenger."
Gao Shen smiled and shared one of Wenger's jokes.
"I had a car filled with gas. Then a bunch of criminals stole it, drove it until the tank was empty, and returned it broken—without even fixing it."
The joke lightened the mood.
Gao Shen admitted that Real Madrid was facing difficulties. National team games were just one issue. There were internal problems as well.
"I never run from problems. I see what's wrong, and I'm working on it. It's nothing serious. I believe we'll soon climb out of this and perform better."
He also gave high praise to his former protégé, Klopp.
"He's undoubtedly one of the best coaches in Europe. Dortmund are one of the most competitive teams in the Champions League."
"But it's cruel. Dortmund, Manchester City, Porto, and us—four teams fully capable of qualifying—got drawn into the same group."
"We have to fight it out in the group stage. Only two can advance."
Gao Shen again expressed confidence in his team.
"We'll be one of them!"
He declined to comment on British media criticism of Pellegrini, Manchester City's poor form, or their loss to Porto. He had no intention of answering questions not related to Real Madrid.
Three days later, on the weekend, Real Madrid would visit Rayo Vallecano.
So far this season, they had played three away games, drawing two and losing one. Still winless.
Interestingly, Rayo had one win and one draw in their two home games so far, including a draw with Sevilla.
Looking at the schedule, Real Madrid had really drawn the short straw.
Two matches per week, the Champions League group of death, three straight away games—no team could breeze through that.
Gao Shen smiled and said, "This time, we have no choice. We must win."
"We're four points behind Barcelona. That's still manageable, but we can't let the gap grow any further."
His words made it clear—Real Madrid were still aiming to win La Liga.
(To be continued.)