In the second half, in the 61st minute, Di Maria and Carvajal combined on the right for a quick counterattack, but Alba blocked the ball out of bounds.
Real Madrid won a corner kick.
As expected, Toni Kroos stepped up to take it, while both teams' aerial threats entered Barcelona's penalty area.
Set-piece defending was another weakness of Barcelona.
The entire Camp Nou was on edge.
Real Madrid's corner setup was very interesting.
Higuain waited at the near post, Di Maria positioned himself at the far post, while Pepe, Varane, and Ronaldo, the three strongest in the air, all started outside the penalty area, bunched together on the left side.
Xabi Alonso and Modric stood just outside the box, ready for the second ball.
When the referee blew his whistle, Kroos ran up and delivered the corner. Players inside the penalty area immediately began their runs.
Ronaldo suddenly sprinted forward from the far-left position at great speed.
With his extraordinary heading ability, he had always been the main target of Barcelona's defenders. Naturally, he immediately drew the attention of Puyol, Busquets, and others. He darted toward the right side of the six-yard box, as if aiming to attack the near post.
Right behind him came Varane and Pepe.
As Ronaldo ran across, the two cut straight into Barcelona's defense.
Varane positioned himself directly in front of Piqué, while Pepe slipped in behind Varane and Piqué, using his body to block Alba.
As Kroos' delivery dropped, Pepe shook free of Alba and charged straight into Piqué.
Inside the six-yard box, Varane and Pepe sandwiched Piqué. The three jumped together, but Piqué was clearly disrupted by Pepe and failed to stop Varane, who was in front.
The French center-back, tall and with superb leaping ability, rose high and headed Kroos' corner directly toward the right side of the goal.
Goalkeeper Valdés had no time to react. The ball flew in.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLL!"
"2-0!"
"Real Madrid! Real Madrid strike again!"
"The young French defender, Raphael Varane, scores with a header!"
Varane roared in celebration, arms wide open. But instead of rushing to the corner like most goalscorers, he ran straight toward the visitors' bench.
Just as the crowd looked on in surprise, Varane threw himself into Gao Shen's arms.
"Well done, Rafael!" Gao Shen hugged him tightly, just as excited, celebrating the perfect goal.
2-0.
The match was effectively over.
Real Madrid's players caught up, surrounding Gao Shen and Varane on the touchline. To outsiders, it looked like a goal celebration. In truth, they were also celebrating the team's qualification.
With an aggregate score of 6-0, could Barcelona still turn it around?
Zidane, Hierro, Carlo, and the rest also stepped out from the bench, high-fiving and embracing Varane and the others after the goal.
"Varane has been excellent over the past few matches, growing more and more solid at the back. He already shows the qualities of a defensive leader. Tonight, he's continued that form."
"I believe after a full season of growth, Varane will emerge as one of Europe's rising center-backs."
"Gao Shen truly deserves his reputation as one of the world's top coaches!"
"In just over half a year at Real Madrid, he's developed several outstanding young players. This is a massive contribution to the club."
…
The TV broadcast zoomed in on the Real Madrid bench, showing players hugging in celebration. It cut to Gao Shen and Varane, capturing their excitement and joy.
The Camp Nou roared with boos.
Barcelona fans were furious at the result.
Conceding two straight goals, with the aggregate at 6-0, what was left to play for?
Was it true what critics said, that Barcelona could only bully weaker teams?
Florentino had once again come to watch the match, knowing Real Madrid's advancement was almost guaranteed.
By his side were Jose Sanchez, Valdano, Butragueño, while Barcelona president Rosell and vice president Bartomeu hosted.
In the directors' box, Ramos sat as well, sidelined by Gao Shen's internal suspension.
Everyone could see his close ties with Florentino.
The Spanish defender also watched the action unfold.
He realized his absence hadn't hurt Real Madrid much. Varane had filled his place perfectly.
Even scoring a goal tonight.
Was this kid trying to seize his position?
Ramos had always known Varane's strength and potential, as well as how highly Gao Shen valued him. But he never cared too much. After all, he was captain of Real Madrid.
And a captain was indispensable.
Besides, with Real Madrid competing on multiple fronts, three top-class center-backs were barely enough.
So Ramos never thought Varane was a real threat.
But tonight, under the lights of the Camp Nou, he suddenly felt otherwise.
This younger teammate, whom he had watched grow and even mentored, might really take his place.
Ramos was quick and mobile. But Varane was also quick and mobile, especially in recovery runs.
Many assumed tall defenders were slow, but that was a misconception.
Varane's pace was among the best at Real Madrid, and even Ramos admitted it.
More importantly, Varane was calm and composed on the pitch, qualities Ramos often lacked.
Ramos' biggest strength was his long passing.
But Varane had strong technique too, playing smart passes, even if he appeared too disciplined due to his youth training background. He always chose the safe option, without flashy risk.
Gao Shen once said Varane's passing was underrated, and he could become the organizer at the back.
That role was supposed to be Ramos'.
Judging by tonight, Varane was nearly flawless, capped with a headed goal.
Perfect.
Ramos felt a threat.
A very real, very strong threat.
…
From the directors' box, Florentino didn't say a single word to Ramos throughout.
It was deliberate.
Gao Shen had just suspended him. If Florentino publicly interacted with Ramos and it leaked, it would undermine Gao Shen and stir trouble.
As an experienced president running a massive enterprise, Florentino understood management better than anyone.
So he kept silent, letting Valdano and Butragueño sit closer instead.
"If Varane keeps playing like this, he could become the next Carvajal," Butragueño said casually, but loud enough for Ramos to hear.
Carvajal?
Since replacing Arbeloa this season, he had become the undisputed starter at right-back. Reliable in defense, effective in attack, and willing to work tirelessly, Carvajal had earned Gao Shen's complete trust.
"At first, people said Carvajal was the next Courtois," Ramos said sarcastically.
And wasn't that the truth?
The first young player to truly break through was Courtois.
Even Casillas had privately admitted that Gao Shen's original plan was to bench him temporarily and let Courtois take over. As soon as Courtois made a serious mistake, Casillas would regain his spot.
It was supposed to be seamless.
But Courtois never faltered. He seized the chance, displaying strength and consistency, improving every match.
Now, if not for Gao Shen's balancing act, Casillas might have lost even his cup matches.
Even so, it forced Casillas to fight harder, keeping himself in top form.
"I'm not trying to be harsh, Sergio, but you know your boss better than anyone. He hates your recklessness the most. He warned you over and over, and yet you still picked up a red card at the crucial moment," Valdano said heavily.
He was deeply frustrated.
Three days ago, Real Madrid should have beaten Barcelona in La Liga to go top.
Now, that chance was gone.
"What crucial moment?!" Ramos snapped.
"Every match matters on the road to the title. Look at how tight the league is now!" Valdano glared at him.
You made the mistake, and you're still arguing?
"Jorge is right, you deserved the punishment," Butragueño added.
Ramos opened his mouth but couldn't answer.
Didn't he know he had messed up?
If not, would Gao Shen really have suspended him?
"Be careful. If Varane truly establishes himself, no one will care about your protests," Valdano warned.
And wasn't that the truth?
Pepe's physical condition was phenomenal, perhaps the best among all defenders in Europe, and he was growing more consistent by the week. Gao Shen trusted him more and more.
Among Madrid's center-backs, Ramos had become the most unstable factor.
If Varane secured his place too, then Captain Ramos might be left sitting beside Casillas, guarding the water bottles.
That would make them a laughingstock.
Worse, Gao Shen might strip them of the captain and vice-captain armbands.
If that happened, their careers at Madrid would be over.
"Take my advice, Sergio," Butragueño said. "Find time to talk to Gao Shen. Be humble, apologize, admit your mistake, and let it pass."
Ramos nodded silently. Of course, he knew.
This was Gao Shen disciplining him.
And it had struck him right where it hurt most.
He had no choice but to bow to his boss.
(To be continued.)