On the evening of April 29th, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
In the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, Real Madrid were set to face Bayern Munich away from home.
As soon as the Portuguese referee Pedro blew the whistle to start the match, the Bayern fans inside the Allianz Arena erupted into wild cheers for their players on the pitch.
Guardiola stood in front of the home team's technical area with a serious expression, his eyes fixed on the field.
He had made some adjustments in response to the problems that occurred during the first leg at the Bernabéu.
Lahm returned to his familiar right-back position, while Schweinsteiger and Khedira partnered in midfield.
Real Madrid, however, made no changes.
Gao Shen continued with his strongest lineup. The midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Xabi Alonso, and Modric remained intact, reflecting Real Madrid's confidence going into the match.
After kickoff, Bayern played with great intensity, taking the initiative to attack. Real Madrid, on the other hand, stuck to their defensive approach. They didn't press forward recklessly but instead waited for counterattacking opportunities.
This was exactly what Guardiola had expected.
In terms of ball possession, Bayern quickly seized control and began to suppress Real Madrid. Yet, Guardiola kept calling out to Lahm, urging caution.
Bayern were attacking from left to right, which meant Lahm was playing on the same side as Guardiola.
The Spanish coach noticed Ronaldo constantly drifting near Lahm's position, looking for openings.
Guardiola reminded Lahm and Khedira to stay alert and watch Ronaldo closely.
In one-on-one situations, it was still difficult for Lahm to contain Ronaldo, so he needed defensive support.
After several minutes of probing and adjustments, neither side could break the deadlock.
Bayern began to grow impatient.
The 0-3 deficit from the first leg hung over them like a curse. They needed an early goal.
Under normal circumstances, Guardiola would never allow his team to lose composure.
But tonight, even he couldn't control their anxiety.
If they didn't score soon, time would run out.
Against a team like Real Madrid, who could easily score three goals, there was no room for hesitation.
Failing to score early would only make things more difficult as the match went on.
But attacking too aggressively came with another danger: Real Madrid's deadly counterattacks.
Having coached for many years, Guardiola understood there was no such thing as perfection in football. Every decision had its risks.
At this point, however, he had no other choice.
So he stood on the sideline, watching his players press higher and higher up the pitch.
Real Madrid's defense was solid and compact, making it hard for Bayern's passing game to penetrate. That forced the home side, desperate for goals, to commit more players forward.
As Bayern pushed up, their midfield and defense lines also advanced dangerously high.
Then, in the eighth minute, Toni Kroos intercepted Khedira's pass and laid the ball back to Xabi Alonso. The Spanish midfielder immediately played a long pass over the top, perfectly dropping it behind Bayern's defense.
Benzema reacted fastest, bursting forward. Dante was slow to respond, and although Vidal chased hard, the French striker used his strength to shield the ball.
Guardiola instinctively tensed up and shouted, "Press!"
The ball bounced once near the top of the box, slowing slightly in the air.
It was a classic Xabi Alonso long pass, timed to perfection.
Benzema, sprinting at full speed, blocked Vidal with his body, then controlled the ball with his right foot and entered the Bayern penalty area.
Bayern goalkeeper Tom Starke stood frozen near the goal line.
He hesitated.
Everything happened too quickly, and he failed to make the right decision in time.
Only when Benzema reached the right side of the penalty spot and caught up with the ball did Starke finally rush forward.
But it was already too late.
With Vidal behind him, Benzema swung his right foot and fired. The ball flew over the goalkeeper's head and into the Bayern net.
1-0!
Guardiola grabbed his head with both hands, furious. He wanted to run over and ask his goalkeeper why he hadn't charged out sooner when the defense was breached.
Normally calm and composed, the Spanish coach couldn't hold back his frustration and cursed under his breath.
Once that goal went in, the tie was as good as over.
Guardiola trudged back to the bench and sat down, completely dejected.
The aggregate score was now 4-0. Real Madrid had an away goal, which meant Bayern would need to score five times.
That was impossible.
…
Conceding that goal was like opening a bleeding wound. The scent of failure drove Bayern to madness.
This was their home ground.
Before the match, they had sworn to make a comeback here at the Allianz Arena.
But now, they hadn't even managed a single shot, and Real Madrid had already scored.
What was happening?
You can lose a game, that's football. But not like this.
Bayern began attacking with reckless abandon. Captain Lahm kept shouting, urging his teammates to push forward and fight back.
The home team was full of aggression, but their chaotic, desperate pressing led to disaster.
Before Bayern could even get a proper shot on target, Real Madrid struck again, and this time it was even more unbelievable.
In the 15th minute, still haunted by his earlier hesitation, goalkeeper Starke decided to take no chances. When Real Madrid played another long pass, he charged out of the box decisively.
But once outside the penalty area, a goalkeeper cannot use his hands. Starke went for a header, but it barely cleared the ball.
It fell straight to Ronaldo on the left flank.
The Portuguese star stopped it, glanced at the goal, and sent a lob soaring over everyone.
There was no suspense about the outcome. The ball always travels faster than the man chasing it.
Starke sprinted back frantically, but he couldn't catch up.
2-0!
The entire Allianz Arena fell silent.
Everyone knew Bayern might lose, but no one expected it to unfold like this.
Moments later, Real Madrid struck again. From a corner kick, Ronaldo and Pepe drew the attention of Dante and Khedira at the near and central positions, allowing Ramos to head in from the far post.
3-0!
Five minutes later, Di Maria swung in a diagonal cross from the right flank. Pepe headed the ball back across goal, and Ramos met it with another header from close range.
4-0!
Starke stood rooted to the spot, utterly stunned.
The two early goals had shattered his composure completely.
In the 37th minute, Di Maria dropped deep, intercepted Schweinsteiger's pass, and launched a counterattack. He passed to Modric, who quickly released Benzema sprinting forward.
Under pressure from Dante, Benzema stopped sharply and laid the ball off to the onrushing Di Maria.
The Argentine burst through the middle, entered the penalty area, and squared the ball to the left.
Ronaldo broke free from Lahm with blistering speed, sprinted into the box, and calmly slotted home his second goal of the night.
5-0!
…
Gao Shen stood by the away team's technical area.
He could clearly feel it, the moment Ronaldo scored, the entire Allianz Arena fell deathly silent.
The 68,000 spectators seemed to stop breathing.
Gao Shen remained calm. He had anticipated this outcome long before.
After the first goal, the match was effectively decided.
The only remaining question was how many goals Real Madrid would score, and whether Bayern would manage one at all.
The answer was clear. Real Madrid had scored five.
In the first leg at the Bernabéu, they had scored three in the first half. Now, in the second leg at the Allianz Arena, they had scored five before halftime.
Bayern Munich had only managed two shots, fewer than the number of goals Real Madrid had scored.
That was the problem.
Bayern were far too anxious tonight.
The first goal was the turning point, the decisive blow.
In a sense, the game ended after just ten minutes.
"You really beat him badly this time," Zidane said with a wry smile, glancing at the home bench where Guardiola sat motionless.
Gao Shen followed his gaze and smiled faintly.
Once the match begins, many things are beyond a coach's control.
For example, Gao Shen couldn't possibly tell his players to stop attacking after scoring one goal.
That was impossible.
The strength gap between Real Madrid and Bayern wasn't as wide as the score suggested.
Holding back only works if the stronger team can maintain total control.
Gao Shen recalled one of the most memorable matches in football history, when an underdog held the mighty Brazil to a draw.
Did Brazil take it easy that day? Of course they did.
But once they realized things were slipping away, it was already too late.
Football is unpredictable. Once momentum shifts, control disappears.
By the same logic, if Real Madrid eased off now, they might lose their focus and allow Bayern to launch a comeback.
The difference in quality between these two teams wasn't as big as the scoreboard showed.
Even if they played again, Gao Shen would still need to work hard to find a winning strategy.
Real Madrid might not beat Bayern so easily next time.
In matches like this, between Real Madrid and Bayern, Gao Shen and Guardiola, both sides must give their all. There's no room for carelessness.
As for the current situation, no one expected it, but it made perfect sense.
Bayern were too impatient, exposing flaws in their defense and goalkeeper.
Real Madrid stayed composed, countered decisively, and capitalized on every chance.
(To be continued.)