September 30th, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid.
In the sixth round of La Liga, Real Madrid hosted newly promoted Deportivo La Coruña.
From the moment the players walked into the stadium, Gao Shen gave all Real Madrid fans a big surprise.
They saw the long-awaited, familiar No. 8 jersey.
"We see referee Gamez leading both teams' starting lineups onto the pitch."
"In Real Madrid's starting XI, we see the familiar No. 8—Kaka!"
"My god, Kaka is starting again."
"We can hear the Bernabéu faithful chanting his name. Clearly, they've been waiting for the Brazilian superstar's return."
"And Real Madrid's starting lineup tonight is indeed a bit surprising."
"They didn't go all out."
Goalkeeper: Courtois.
Defense: Marcelo, Pepe, Varane, Carvajal.
Midfield: Casemiro sitting deep, with Kaka and Verratti ahead.
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuaín, Di Maria.
In addition, players like Vázquez, Jesé, Morata and others were on the bench, and Benzema wasn't even in the squad.
"It's clear that Gao Shen didn't take Deportivo La Coruña too seriously."
"It's surprising, considering many thought Deportivo had the potential to cause problems at the Bernabéu. But it looks like Real Madrid didn't consider them a serious threat."
"Perhaps Oltra's team should look to stir up trouble at the Bernabéu."
"Deportivo have stuck with their strongest starting lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation."
"Now let's see if they can impose themselves on Real Madrid."
"The match is about to kick off."
…
Deportivo La Coruña kicked off.
After moving the ball out from the center circle, they immediately passed it back to their back line.
Marchena launched a long pass toward the front line.
As expected, they were looking for Ricky.
But Real Madrid were well prepared. Pepe stepped up quickly and headed the ball over Ricky.
Deportivo La Coruña headed the ball back into Real Madrid's half, but Marcelo's defensive pressure on the left forced them to play inside.
Kaka dropped to the edge of the box, helping Casemiro cut off the passing lane, forcing Deportivo to shift the ball wide, but Marcelo anticipated it and intercepted.
Real Madrid attempted to counter, but it failed. Marcelo calmly passed the ball backward.
Then came a series of short passes between Verratti and Kaka, controlling the rhythm.
This was exactly as Gao Shen had instructed before the match.
There was no need to rush at home against Deportivo La Coruña.
The opponent wasn't that strong. Even without going full strength, Real Madrid held a clear advantage. So why go all-out and risk injuries or fatigue?
Stay composed and wait for the right opportunity.
Tonight, Real Madrid made changes in midfield, rotating all three players, which led to tactical shifts as well.
Kaka frequently moved to the left flank to link up with Ronaldo and Marcelo. Verratti stayed deeper, while Di Maria often cut inside, leaving the right wing to Carvajal.
Real Madrid's full-backs pushed very high—often even higher than Di Maria.
This tactical setup led to the first shot of the match.
In the sixth minute, Carvajal delivered a cross from the right side of the box. Di Maria, from the right channel, fired a long-range shot, but it didn't find the back of the net.
Just like the previous round, Di Maria moved to the left whenever he could.
This created a left-side overload with Di Maria, Marcelo, Kaka, and Ronaldo—all technically gifted players—putting tremendous pressure on Deportivo La Coruña.
But whenever a gap appeared on the right, Real Madrid would immediately switch the play.
In the 10th minute, a large-scale switch from the left allowed Carvajal to receive the ball on the right side of the 30-meter zone.
Higuaín came over for support, and Carvajal tried to cut inside for a one-two, but the Argentine didn't anticipate his intention in time and lost the ball, ending a promising combination.
But Verratti immediately pressed Juan Domingos in midfield and won the ball back.
Kaka reacted quickest. He darted forward, brought the ball up, and launched a counterattack on the spot, charging directly to the edge of the box.
Although the Brazilian had lost some pace, his dribbling and close control remained top-tier. The defenders had no way to stop him.
Spotting Ronaldo in position, Kaka threaded a through ball.
The Portuguese broke into the left side of the box and, with his left foot, slotted the ball into the bottom left corner.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"
"Ten minutes in, Real Madrid take the lead!"
"Kaka with the assist, Ronaldo with the finish!"
The entire Bernabéu erupted.
Ronaldo called out to Kaka. The two ran to the sidelines to celebrate, with the rest of the team quickly joining.
On the touchline, Gao Shen clapped and cheered loudly for the duo's brilliant play.
Though Carvajal and Verratti played key roles in the buildup, all eyes were on the stars.
As head coach, Gao Shen specifically praised Verratti and Carvajal by name.
…
After the opening goal, everyone expected Real Madrid to pull away.
But just five minutes later, Deportivo La Coruña, in a move that looked harmless, passed the ball to Ricky at the top of the box.
Real Madrid's defensive line was well organized, with Ricky sandwiched between the two center backs.
But to everyone's shock, Varane mistimed his tackle. He got both the timing and the angle wrong and missed everything.
Ricky didn't waste the chance. He dribbled past Varane, used his body to shield off Pepe, and slotted the ball home.
1-1!
There was a stunned silence at the Bernabéu.
Varane clutched his head in disbelief.
He didn't know what had happened—was it a brain fade?
Courtois shouted at him in frustration, and Pepe stormed over and slapped Varane's face, telling him to snap out of it.
This kind of mistake was hard to accept.
Gao Shen wore a frustrated and helpless expression, turning toward Zidane in the coaching area, who could only shake his head.
Too young.
He was just nineteen!
"It's fine! Focus! Wake up!"
Gao Shen's voice carried across the pitch.
"Pepe, keep a close eye on him."
"Attack! Attack! Push forward!"
Gao Shen's encouragement quickly took effect. Just three minutes after conceding, Marcelo dribbled to the 30-meter zone, cut inside, and attempted a diagonal pass toward Ronaldo, who had moved centrally.
But the opposing defender reacted first and intercepted.
The ball dropped at Verratti's feet. After a quick glance ahead, the Italian launched a diagonal ball to the left edge of the box.
Ronaldo had dragged the defense away. Who was arriving in the left channel?
Di Maria!
The Argentine sprinted into the space and reached the pass first. With his left foot, he lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Alan Subía and into the net.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"
"2-1! Real Madrid take the lead again!"
"Just three minutes later, Di Maria strikes!"
The Bernabéu roared with delight.
Nearly all the fans were on their feet, applauding Di Maria.
The Argentine was in brilliant form this season. Whether on the left or right, he was Real Madrid's most threatening player—and he could even slot into midfield.
Just four minutes later, Verratti played another long diagonal to the left flank.
Di Maria made a high-speed run and controlled the ball ahead of the defender. Facing the full-back one-on-one, he dribbled into the box.
There, he was fouled by center-back Castro and went down.
The referee pointed to the spot without hesitation.
The Bernabéu exploded again.
But what really caught everyone off guard was what happened next.
Just as everyone assumed that Ronaldo, eager to score, would take the penalty, he stepped aside and pushed Kaka forward instead.
In that moment, thunderous applause echoed through the Bernabéu.
Every fan stood up, cheering Ronaldo's gesture.
Gao Shen and the entire coaching staff and substitutes also clapped warmly.
"As the team's primary penalty taker, Ronaldo handed the opportunity to Kaka, helping him score and regain his confidence. A truly commendable act."
"And Kaka does need this goal—to find his rhythm again."
After hugging Ronaldo, Kaka stepped up to the spot. His teammates gathered around, giving him hugs and encouragement.
He placed the ball, took a few steps back, and after the whistle, ran forward and slotted it into Deportivo La Coruña's goal.
3-1!
After scoring, Kaka sprinted away from the goal, arms outstretched, releasing all the frustration and bottled-up emotions.
He had once been the most elegant prince in world football. Now, he was buried in the mud, stripped of that nobility. No one could understand the emotional gulf.
No one could imagine what it felt like to sit in the tunnel or the stands over the years, watching his teammates play, silently cheering them on with a forced smile.
No one wanted to fly again more than he did. But his wings were broken.
He had paid the price for his earlier choices.
But now, he was fighting to reclaim a place in Real Madrid.
Even if it wasn't a position he was used to, or one he truly wanted.
Even if he yearned to leave, he refused to leave like a loser.
This was his last bit of dignity, his final shred of pride.
Who says a man covered in mud can't still be a prince?
(To be continued.)
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