When referee Pérez blew the final whistle, the 78,000 Real Madrid fans at the Bernabéu went wild. They rose from their seats, roared at the top of their lungs, and applauded their team.
3-0. That was what the scoreboard showed. The final result of the match.
A result that shocked everyone.
No one expected that after rotating nine players, Real Madrid could still beat Barcelona 3-0 at home.
The Real Madrid supporters were in ecstasy.
If the match had lasted any longer, they would still have been celebrating in the stands.
Another 3-0.
This was the fourth time Real Madrid had beaten Barcelona this season.
Even more thrilling was that Real Madrid's lineup tonight had been made up mainly of young players.
On the Barcelona side, their midfield trio was intact, with stars like Messi, Villa, and Pedro also starting. They rotated a little, but not much.
Real Madrid, however, rotated nine players, keeping only Pepe and Varane in defense.
Before this match, almost every bookmaker had written off Real Madrid.
But who could have imagined the result would be 3-0?
In the 72nd minute, Verratti showcased his superb ball control and dribbling in midfield. Surrounded by two Barcelona players, the Italian wriggled out of a tight space and then delivered a precise long pass over the defense.
Jesé timed his run perfectly, darting between Alves and Thiago Motta. He controlled the ball with his chest and smashed it past Valdés with his right foot to score again.
In fact, Real Madrid had another great chance. Morata, however, wasn't composed enough in front of goal. His shot went straight at Valdés and was saved.
Had he converted, it would have been 4-0.
…
It had been almost a one-sided game.
But not with Real Madrid suffocating Barcelona. Rather, it was Barcelona controlling Real Madrid.
Their 78 percent possession showed the enormous passing and control advantage they had.
But with only four shots, that advantage became meaningless.
As Sky Sports summed it up after the match:
"Barcelona have fallen into a vicious cycle."
"They chase possession relentlessly, setting up everything to dominate the ball. But once they have it, there is no clear plan, only individual improvisation."
"This is a serious problem."
And Barcelona's problems didn't stop there.
Looking at the running stats, this Barcelona side under Vilanova showed a sharp decline compared to Guardiola's team.
In this match at the Bernabéu, their physical drop-off was obvious.
Partly because they had played at Camp Nou just three days earlier and were fatigued. But it also highlighted another issue: the players were unwilling to run.
Marca had previously published an analysis of Barcelona's problems.
The article noted that when Vilanova took over, he quickly won the locker room's support by accommodating the players' demands, always giving in to their preferences.
The upside was clear: the players liked him, some even happy to "betray" Guardiola, the father of the Dream Team.
But the downside was just as clear: the team's training intensity had dropped.
And a decline in training inevitably leads to a decline in performance on the pitch.
This was no coincidence.
Wasn't this the same mistake the first generation of Galácticos made? After achieving glory, their stars aged, grew complacent, and started coasting through matches.
Barcelona were now repeating Real Madrid's mistakes.
Sky Sports argued that all three of Barcelona's conceded goals looked similar.
Failure to counter-press allowed Real Madrid to spring forward in transition.
And with Barcelona's fragile defense, they could not stop them.
It didn't matter if they were facing Ronaldo, Di María, and Benzema, or young players like Jesé and Morata. They couldn't hold them back.
"This is a Real Madrid team full of energy and passion."
"From the broadcast, you could see the entire Bernabéu applauding Gao Shen and his men."
"They deserve it."
"At the start of the season, Gao Shen claimed Real Madrid had great potential. Nobody believed him, most thought he was just making excuses."
"But now, neither the brutal Champions League group of death nor February's grueling fixture list could stop Real Madrid."
"This is a team worth looking forward to."
…
After the game, Gao Shen walked to the visiting dugout and shook hands with Barcelona's acting coach, Jordi Roura.
They exchanged little more than a handshake. Gao Shen asked him to pass on his regards to Vilanova, then turned away.
He knew Roura and the Barcelona players had no desire to see him now.
On his way back to the bench, Hierro rushed over and threw his arms around him.
"Four wins against Barcelona in a single season!"
"When have we ever seen such a fierce Real Madrid?"
"When have we ever seen a Real Madrid this full of hope and fire?"
"Listen to the Bernabéu. Every clap is for you!" Hierro shouted.
Gao Shen looked around. Sure enough, every Madrid fan was standing, clapping, and cheering.
It was their recognition of this team.
But Gao Shen stayed grounded, exhaling heavily. "It's still early."
There were 12 rounds left in the league, with Barcelona still one point ahead. The title race was far from decided.
Most importantly, Real Madrid were still competing on three fronts.
The Copa del Rey final in May was manageable.
But in the Champions League, danger lurked at every stage.
"You know what? Barcelona are actually easier to play."
If those words leaked out, they would be ridiculed as arrogance or disrespect.
But Gao Shen meant them.
Why easier?
"Because we know their routine. They'll press high, dominate the ball, and push forward. Their tactics are predictable. We just need to defend well and wait to counter."
It wasn't glamorous.
If Gao Shen wanted to be ambitious, he could challenge them head-on. But that would be far riskier.
"The other league teams aren't like that. Against us, they sit deep. Breaking them down is harder, even dangerous."
Everyone understood.
Pros and cons. Gains and losses. That was normal.
…
After the 3-0 win, the Bernabéu erupted in applause.
In the locker room, the players were ecstatic, especially the young ones.
Florentino entered with Valdano, Butragueño, and others, followed by King Juan Carlos.
Everyone congratulated Real Madrid.
With this win, Real Madrid sat just one point behind Barcelona, filling the club with belief.
Gao Shen was no exception.
In his post-match speech, he singled out his standout players.
Jesé, who scored twice, earned high praise. But Gao Shen reminded him to move on quickly.
"Don't let this game weigh on you."
Jesé understood. He didn't submit to anyone, but Gao Shen had his respect.
After all, Gao Shen had promoted him from the youth team.
And every youth player at Real Madrid had grown up hearing Gao Shen's legend.
Morata, with one goal and one assist, was also praised, though Gao Shen pointed out flaws.
Jesé's problem was lack of power in his shots, though his angles were sharp. Morata's issues were more obvious.
Gao Shen had made it clear to him: as a center forward, he needed more physical strength. But Morata still lacked in that department.
Morata liked to think of himself as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Don't laugh, their height and build were indeed similar.
But Gao Shen had already told him bluntly: "You're not Ronaldo. You'll never be Ronaldo. You need to be Morata."
A center forward named Morata.
And unlike Ronaldo, he lacked that obsession with the gym.
Verratti, with two assists, and Varane, flawless in defense, also shone.
So did Casemiro, with his interceptions and tight marking of Messi.
Gao Shen was generous with praise for these three.
Real Madrid now had not just a strong starting XI, but also a capable bench.
The only issue was their youth and inexperience.
But Gao Shen believed that by next season, this group of youngsters would be even better.
"I want to say, I'm proud of your performance tonight."
"Out there, the applause and cheers from our fans are the best recognition of what you've done."
"But I also want you to forget this game quickly. Focus on what's ahead."
"Believe me, we will win the championship this season!"
The locker room erupted in cheers and clapping.
Florentino, King Juan Carlos, and the others listened to Gao Shen's words, heard the players' response, and were stirred with excitement.
Real Madrid hadn't been this full of passion and energy in years.
(To be continued.)