After the sides switched for the second half, the match continued in the same pattern as the first.
Real Madrid kept control of possession, while Paris Saint-Germain stayed compact, defending and waiting for counterattacks.
At the start of the half, Real Madrid launched several waves of attacks and created chances, but they still couldn't break through PSG's defense.
Ancelotti's ability to organize was on full display. He was excellent at managing details.
Although PSG's defenders weren't especially strong and had their flaws, once Ancelotti adjusted them, drilled routines, and managed those details, PSG's defense was solid enough to carry them to the Champions League semi-finals.
This reminded Gao Shen of Real Madrid's Champions League win in 2021, before he transmigrated.
Many fans called it "metaphysics", but how much metaphysics could there really be?
Once or twice might be coincidence, but again and again, it becomes inevitable.
Still, no matter how good Ancelotti was, he couldn't overcome certain hard facts.
For example, Ibrahimovic's complete unwillingness to defend.
According to Ancelotti's plan, Cavani should have pushed high and pressed Real Madrid's centre-backs, while Ibrahimovic dropped back to link play. But as the match went on, Cavani did all the defensive work, while Ibrahimovic drifted forward.
It was awkward.
One player worked too hard, the other not at all.
The tactics collapsed.
Ancelotti could understand why Ibrahimovic refused to run, but in modern football, if you don't run, you don't get chances, and you only make your team more passive.
And Ibrahimovic's problem wasn't only not running, but the tempo he played at.
Like in the 61st minute.
Cavani tracked back to the halfway line, pressed Carvajal, and knocked down the right-back.
Carvajal still got the pass away, but it was poor, and Matuidi intercepted it.
PSG countered immediately.
Matuidi carried the ball forward, with Pastore and Ibrahimovic sprinting ahead. The Swede pulled out wide into the space behind Carvajal to receive.
When Ibrahimovic got the ball, he drove diagonally into the left half-space, heading towards Pepe.
What frustrated Ancelotti most was that after passing, Matuidi didn't move into a supporting position inside, but instead tried to overlap Ibrahimovic down the wing.
What kind of logic was that?
Did he really think Ibrahimovic would give up the ball?
Even worse, Ibrahimovic slowed the play down.
From the way he dribbled, he clearly wanted to take on Pepe one-on-one, but Alonso had already recovered to form a two-man block.
When Ibrahimovic finally reached the box, he tried to take both on, failed, and was forced wide, where he clashed with Matuidi.
Their positions overlapped badly.
Just before losing possession, Ibrahimovic finally released the ball to Matuidi, then moved into the middle. Matuidi was forced to play a pass into the box, but it was weak. Casillas reacted quickly, smothering it before Pastore could get there.
On the sidelines, Ancelotti spread his hands in exasperation, dissatisfied with his players' movement and coordination.
Matuidi had never been known for attacking ability, but that run was beyond strange.
And Ibrahimovic, this was the Champions League semi-final. Couldn't he at least speed things up?
Not 1.5x speed, fine, but at least don't slow it to 0.5x.
Was he putting on a show?
Finally they got a counter, and he wasted it.
This was why Ancelotti didn't want Ibrahimovic as his front man. He slowed down transitions far too much.
But what could he do?
Cavani was running himself into the ground on defense.
If he hadn't, he might already have clashed with Ibrahimovic.
This was PSG's biggest problem.
In Ligue 1 against weaker sides, it didn't matter. But in the Champions League, especially the knockouts, it was fatal.
…
Casillas got up, raised his right hand to signal he was fine, and Real Madrid pushed forward again.
The captain glanced ahead, then quickly launched the ball forward toward Benzema.
Thiago Silva reacted fast, stepping up smartly to win the header.
Maxwell darted up, controlled it before Di Maria could, and passed inside to Matuidi before moving forward, looking for a one-two.
But as Matuidi laid it back, Carvajal appeared from behind.
The right-back, who had been dispossessed earlier, redeemed himself, pressing aggressively to intercept the return ball.
Carvajal wasn't tall, but he was quick and agile.
He shifted the ball from his left foot to his right, sidestepped Maxwell, then nudged it forward and burst past him in one stride.
In a blink, he was away.
The Parc des Princes grew tense again.
Real Madrid's counter surged into PSG's box.
Benzema positioned himself at the top of the area, with Di Maria wide on the right, ready to support.
Carvajal dribbled into the right corner of the penalty area, cut inside, and whipped in a cross with his right foot.
He didn't aim for Benzema or Di Maria. Instead, he picked out Ronaldo, unmarked at the far post.
The Portuguese arrived about ten meters out on the left, timed the cross perfectly, and before Jallet or Beckham could close him down, struck it first time on the volley.
The ball rocketed off his boot, flying straight into the net.
Sirigu was rooted, unable to react.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"
"CRISTIANO RONALDO SCORES!!!"
"Real Madrid strike again!!"
"My God, what a ruthless counterattack! PSG's defense panicked and completely lost track of Ronaldo, their most dangerous man."
"This was a huge mistake!"
"Jallet, the right-back, was caught far too high up."
"2-0!"
"PSG are in serious trouble now."
…
On the sideline, Gao Shen had already sensed it. The moment Carvajal hit the cross, he knew.
The ball was in.
When Ronaldo volleyed, Gao Shen leapt up in excitement.
Goal!
He turned and high-fived Carlo, Zidane, Hierro, and the others as they rushed from the bench.
On the pitch, Real Madrid players swarmed Ronaldo, who struck his signature Eiffel Tower celebration pose by the sideline.
Pretentious or not, the pose looked sharp.
Rumor was he had even trademarked it.
"I didn't expect PSG's defense to break down like that," Hierro admitted in surprise.
But Gao Shen wasn't surprised.
"Have you heard of the barrel theory?"
Hierro nodded.
A barrel's capacity is determined by its shortest plank.
"A deadlocked match tests a team's overall strength, especially their weakest link."
This goal exposed many of PSG's problems.
Forget their attack.
Cavani was running tirelessly, winning applause, but as a striker, that wasn't his job.
What was a striker's duty?
Not running endlessly, not constant tracking back.
It was pressing centre-backs, disrupting defenses, scoring himself or creating for others.
Ibrahimovic's pace had long been exposed as a weakness in the Champions League knockouts.
Matuidi, for all his effort and energy, had questionable positioning.
Ancelotti had to buy players urgently.
Maxwell and Jallet too. Especially Jallet, who lost Ronaldo completely…
Not deliberately, just panicking.
That was football. It changed in an instant.
"Damn, I won't get to use my killer move," Gao Shen muttered, disappointed.
Zidane and Carlo exchanged glances and chuckled.
What was Gao Shen's trump card?
It was Isco, sitting on the bench.
If PSG had continued sitting deep, Gao Shen was ready to switch to 4-4-2 and unleash Isco to dribble at the defense, drawing fouls around the box.
And with Ronaldo, Kroos, and Alonso all free-kick specialists, that would have been deadly.
But now it was already 2-0. Was there still any need?
"Save it for the Bernabéu. Give Ancelotti a proper beating there," Gao Shen said resentfully.
He had shifted all his frustration at not using his trump card onto Ancelotti.
At that moment, Zidane felt a flicker of sympathy for the Italian.
Conceding twice at home and still carrying all the blame, Ancelotti was the perfect scapegoat. It was too harsh.
But Zidane also admired Gao Shen's sharpness, his tailored tactics, and his in-game adjustments, which had completely unsettled PSG.
For Real Madrid, a 2-0 away win almost guaranteed qualification.
Combined with their double victory over Juventus in the quarters, Real Madrid under Gao Shen truly looked like a team of depth and quality.
And they were playing better and better.
Zidane couldn't help but look forward to it. Just how much of a storm could Real Madrid and Gao Shen stir up in Europe?
(To be continued.)