Real Madrid eventually defeated Barcelona 3-0 at Camp Nou.
In the 79th minute, they scored their third goal.
It came from another quick counterattack. Toni Kroos' long pass sailed over Barcelona's defense and landed at Di Maria's feet. The Argentine, who had swapped positions with Ronaldo, received the ball at the edge of the penalty area and drove forward against Piqué.
Unlucky Piqué, who had just been knocked down by Pepe during the earlier aerial challenge, was still frustrated. He had protested to the referee, but the goal had stood.
Now, facing Di Maria's endless feints, he was tricked again, slipping inside the penalty area. Di Maria broke through on the left side of the box and squared the ball across the goal.
Ronaldo arrived at the back post and smashed it into the net.
3-0.
With that, Real Madrid eliminated Barcelona with a crushing 7-0 aggregate score across the two legs.
…
After the match, the Spanish press exploded with coverage of the world-famous clash.
The national daily El País ran the headline: Real Madrid Conquers Camp Nou!
The report stated that Real Madrid had given Barcelona a vivid lesson at the Nou Camp.
"This is already Real Madrid's third win against Barcelona this season."
"Gao Shen is showing Barcelona, and the world, that football is not only about passing and possession. It is also about strength and efficiency."
El País analyzed the match statistics and found that Real Madrid's possession rate was only 35%, their highest figure across the three meetings this season. Despite that, they created 14 shots, 9 on target, with ruthless efficiency.
Barcelona, by contrast, had 16 shots but only 3 on target, a wasteful performance.
The paper concluded that Gao Shen's triumph at Camp Nou reflected a trend in modern football: Barcelona's possession game was being contained.
Meanwhile, Catalonia's Sport ran a bitter headline: Real Madrid Sweep Barcelona Out of the Copa del Rey.
The article, acting as Barcelona's mouthpiece, admitted that whether at the Bernabéu or Camp Nou, Lula's side had been disorganized.
"Facing Real Madrid's defensive system, they had no solution, only passing back and forth endlessly."
It was not a coincidence, they argued, since the same thing had happened in Madrid.
In recent years, whenever Barcelona met Gao Shen's teams, they were always beaten soundly.
"He is like Barcelona's nemesis!"
Mundo Deportivo urged Barcelona to forget the Copa del Rey, regroup, and lift their heads quickly.
"There is another Clásico this weekend at the Bernabéu, a crucial La Liga match."
Because of Ramos' early red card against Deportivo, Real Madrid had only managed a draw, allowing Barcelona to extend their La Liga lead to 4 points. Even if they lost at the Bernabéu, they would still be ahead.
But with only 1 point separating them, the margin was dangerously slim.
Sport argued Barcelona should aim to beat Real Madrid away, or at the very least secure a draw.
"Lula's team has hit a rough patch, but now is the time to rally."
Mundo Deportivo added, "Barcelona's players can still be trusted. Nothing has been decided yet."
…
Unlike the Catalan press, the Madrid-based media showered praise on Gao Shen.
This was the third victory over Barcelona this season, and Real Madrid's performance was outstanding.
Even though they trailed in La Liga, optimism remained strong. Fans and journalists alike believed the team could turn it around.
At the post-match press conference, Gao Shen expressed confidence ahead of the weekend clash at the Bernabéu.
He firmly believed his team would win again and keep their streak alive.
AS credited Gao Shen as the biggest contributor to the win, with Varane listed second.
The French defender had grown rapidly throughout the season, now displaying the qualities of a top-class center-back.
After the match, not only AS and Marca, but even Catalan papers like Sport and Mundo Deportivo praised Varane's performance, albeit with envy.
AS wrote: "In both attack and defense, Varane has become indispensable for Real Madrid."
"Gao Shen is the best coach in the world at discovering and nurturing young players. He has unearthed a reliable, world-class central defender for Real Madrid."
Varane was praised for his pace, sharp interceptions, accurate passing, and composure in every situation. Adding goals to his repertoire only raised expectations further.
AS even declared: "Varane will be the defensive cornerstone of Real Madrid for the next decade."
Marca agreed, noting Varane's steady rise in form and flawless job marking Messi at Camp Nou.
Pepe too was becoming more consistent. This season he had hardly picked up any yellow cards, let alone reds.
With Varane's emergence and Pepe's stability, Ramos had suddenly become the most worrying piece of Real Madrid's defense.
Marca sent a warning: "Ramos, you had better be more careful!"
If he did not improve, his place at Real Madrid could soon vanish.
The paper also published Gao Shen's response from the post-match press conference.
When asked whether Varane's rise would affect Ramos' role, Gao Shen said Varane was indeed a future world-class defender, but for now, Ramos remained the best in the world.
"I am very happy to have three top-class central defenders. Any manager would consider this a blessing. It allows us to manage the intense schedule more effectively."
…
The day after Real Madrid's 3-0 away win and 7-0 aggregate triumph, Atletico Madrid beat Sevilla 2-1 at home and drew 2-2 away, winning 4-3 overall.
This set up a Copa del Rey final between the two Madrid giants.
But a new problem arose: where should the final be held?
Traditionally, the final was played at a neutral venue, not belonging to either team.
The most suitable stadium outside Madrid was Camp Nou.
This immediately triggered outrage from the Catalan media and fans.
Barcelona had just been humiliated 7-0 by Real Madrid. Hosting the final at Camp Nou, and potentially watching Madrid lift the trophy there, would be unbearable.
President Rosell quickly announced in an interview that Camp Nou could not host the final due to scheduling conflicts.
The excuse was flimsy.
Just last season, Barcelona themselves had nearly played a Copa del Rey final at the Bernabéu against Athletic Bilbao. The Federation eventually moved it to Atletico's Calderón after protests.
Now Atletico demanded the final again be played at their stadium.
Real Madrid opposed, unwilling to concede that advantage.
According to AS, the Spanish Federation was considering three venues: Barcelona's Camp Nou, Valencia's Mestalla, and Seville's Olympic Stadium.
But the Catalan media were furious. Some Barcelona fans even threatened that if the final was held at Camp Nou, they would protest in blood.
Clearly, they could not bear to see their arch-rivals crowned champions on their own turf.
…
For Gao Shen, the venue was irrelevant.
After returning from Barcelona, he threw himself completely into preparation.
Only three days separated the Copa del Rey from the 26th round of La Liga.
That was brutally tight for Real Madrid.
The squad returned to Madrid overnight, held recovery training the next morning, and immediately began league preparations.
The Clásico would be played on March 2nd at 15:00, followed by the away trip to Old Trafford against Manchester United on March 5th. Only two days separated the games, and with travel required, there was no margin.
In other words, Real Madrid had no time to rest, moving from match to match without pause.
It was a massive test, not just for Gao Shen and his staff, but also for the players.
If handled poorly, they could collapse at any moment.
Especially with United waiting at Old Trafford, fully prepared.
So, no matter how reluctant Gao Shen was, he had to rotate against Barcelona. And not lightly, but with a strong rotation. Otherwise, how could they face United?
This forced Gao Shen to prepare in training without even rehearsing targeted tactics. Adjustments had to be made directly in the match itself.
That was the harsh reality of fighting on multiple fronts.
No team could stop to rest or adjust. Even when problems were obvious, they had to keep moving forward.
Only after surviving this stretch could they pause, reflect, and learn.
Just as Gao Shen was buried in preparations for the fourth Clásico of the season, Ramos knocked on his office door.
(To be continued.)