After Gabi was sent off, the match became completely one-sided.
Atletico Madrid dropped into a 4-4-1, retreating into their own 30-meter zone and allowing Real Madrid to attack. Even when they broke forward occasionally, it was hard to threaten Real Madrid's goal.
Relying on himself alone, Diego Costa could hardly make an impact on the counter.
But Atletico still persisted stubbornly.
They were frustrated time and again, then stood up time and again, making people feel they had not given up and that there might still be a chance.
Real Madrid did not dare relax and kept pushing for another goal.
Everyone knew that if they scored once more, the game would be over.
But no matter how Real Madrid pulled their shape or circulated the ball, no matter how precarious or tense the box looked, Atletico always managed to hold that last line.
At key moments, someone always stood up to weather the storm.
Like in the 77th minute.
After sustained circulation, Real Madrid finally opened up space on the right.
Toni Kroos clipped a precise long pass to the unmarked Carvajal on the right edge of the area.
After bringing it under control, the right-back feinted past Siqueira to the byline, then lifted a delicate cross before Alderweireld could close.
The box was crowded, mostly with Atletico players, and it was chaotic.
A gap appeared behind Alderweireld, and Isco darted in and cushioned Carvajal's lofted pass.
The first touch was beautiful. The ball seemed glued to Isco's instep as he brought it dead.
He wanted to play the next pass, but Atletico bodies were everywhere, and there was no angle.
In the scramble, someone hacked it clear out of the box.
The stadium erupted again, mixing groans and cheers.
Another Real Madrid attack had been thwarted.
…
"There are no losers in tonight's final."
In the stands, Real Madrid president Florentino spoke with admiration.
A Champions League final like this is rare.
Atletico Madrid made the occasion fierce and unyielding.
"If Atletico's management don't mess it up, La Liga's two giants might become three, and even Barcelona might have to sit down," Valdano laughed.
He too was Argentine and was delighted to see a top coach like Simeone emerge from Argentina.
Many may not notice it, but among South American countries, Argentina has adapted best to Europe. They are not as exuberant as Brazil, but their tactical discipline is very high.
So Argentina produces many famous coaches, which Brazil does not.
There is no doubt Simeone is the best of Argentina's younger generation.
"Whether it is two giants or three, we have our own strengths," Florentino laughed.
He was full of confidence in Gao Shen, as if nothing could trouble him.
Sometimes, that kind of confidence seemed inexplicable.
Like tonight. The whole world has a headache facing Atletico, yet Real Madrid looked assured. They played steadily from the start and gave Atletico almost no real chances.
After Gabi's red card, Gao Shen made his only substitution of the match so far, replacing Xabi Alonso with Isco to further strengthen dribbling and attacking ability in the final third.
As soon as Isco came on, he used his ball control to create chaos inside Atletico's 30-meter zone.
No one counted, but when Isco received it on the right side of the box just now, how many times did he receive in a threatening position?
This was Gao Shen's strength.
It felt like he had everything mapped out. Nothing escaped his control.
On the pitch, he countered every move of the opponent and left them with no choice but to defend.
Counterattack?
Not happening.
"We have played too steadily, so steady it's hopeless for them," Valdano said with a smile.
In a final like this, stability is an advantage.
Especially when a team like Real Madrid has a clear edge in quality, stability is key.
When the weak face the strong, they must seek the unexpected to win. When the strong play the weak, stability comes first.
Gao Shen's biggest trait is tailoring things to his players.
He takes risks when needed, and plays safe when he should. He never clings to dogma or forces a persona. He says he loves attacking football, but he never becomes a slave to it.
Like Guardiola, who insists on pass-and-control.
But is that not just a disguised way of limiting yourself?
"Gao Shen said that after beating Atletico tonight, he is confident this wave of glory can continue for the next few years," Florentino said.
Valdano nodded. "At least three more peak years."
That calculation was based on the squad's age curve.
Squad refreshment is easy to say, hard to do.
Take the goalkeeper position.
Courtois has been at Real Madrid for two years. He came to replace Casillas, but what happened?
It was not until the second half of this season that he fully replaced Casillas. Yet Casillas is still the captain of Real Madrid and Spain.
There are still many voices on the board wanting Casillas to stay.
If he stays, he remains captain and threatens Courtois' status.
Reality is not a video game, and players are not cold numbers. They are people with countless ties around them. It is not as simple as playing whoever is in form and all problems vanish.
A situation like Casillas versus Courtois only becomes manageable when the team is very well run. With most famous coaches, it would be hard to control and problems would erupt.
…
While the game was slightly stale and people in the stands were chatting, the match suddenly shifted. Isco dribbled to the edge of the box and tried to slide it to Benzema inside.
Benzema could not retain possession and laid it back. Isco quickly switched it to Toni Kroos, who moved it on to Marcelo.
Marcelo carried it forward to support Di Maria. The Argentine received, cut diagonally into the box, and wriggled between Koke and Jose Sosa. He got to the byline ahead of Juanfran and burst through.
It happened in an instant. Most fans did not even see all the details. They only saw Di Maria bursting out from between three or four Atletico defenders with the ball.
Near the byline, Di Maria took it across and swung his left foot, sending the cross to the back post.
Benzema occupied the middle, Ronaldo was at the far post. He surged forward, got across Alderweireld, and rose to head Di Maria's cross into the net.
"Goalllllllllllllllll!"
"Real Madrid have scored!!!"
"2-0!!"
"This is surely the goal that seals the season."
"In the 81st minute, Di Maria beat three Atletico defenders on the left, then crossed with his left. Ronaldo attacked the back post and headed home."
"This is Real Madrid. In crucial moments, stars make the difference."
Ronaldo sprinted to celebrate wildly.
Real Madrid's players all rushed over.
2-0.
That goal was decisive for Real Madrid.
More importantly, both teams could feel Atletico's physical levels dropping, especially on Di Maria's side.
At the start of the game, when everyone was fresh, a dribble like Di Maria's would not have broken Atletico's defense. This time, he did.
Not because Atletico slacked off, but because they were exhausted.
Real Madrid had been circulating and wearing them down all match. Especially after Gabi's dismissal, with ten men they were under constant pressure. Everyone had to work harder, which led to greater fatigue.
In the end, when Di Maria drove forward, the defenders could hardly keep up.
Credit also goes to Gao Shen's two key assistants, Real Madrid's fitness coaches Buenaventura and Pintus.
They ensured Real Madrid's players had the legs.
…
After conceding again, Simeone could no longer be conservative.
He had been saving his last substitution to keep things tight to the very end.
The plan was to hold 0-1 to the final phase, then make changes and throw everything forward for a few minutes to snatch an equalizer.
That was Atletico's last hope.
But now, at 0-2, he could not wait.
Right after the goal, Simeone used his third change, replacing the exhausted Tiago with Adrian.
Atletico shifted into something like a 4-2-3-1, with Jose Sosa and Koke in midfield.
Gao Shen immediately made a second substitution, bringing on Pogba for Modric.
The Croatian was nearly out of gas. Pogba's arrival would enhance ball progression from midfield.
As for Toni Kroos, his long passing was more valuable for Real Madrid at this stage, and his stamina was better than Modric's.
With the change, Gao Shen had Pogba operate on the right, combining with Isco and driving boldly at Atletico's right side to create danger.
Four minutes later, Pogba received from Isco, powered forward, shed his marker, and ran to the right edge of Atletico's box before sliding a pass into the right side of the area.
Ronaldo brought it under control, drew three Atletico defenders, then laid it square.
Near the penalty spot, Benzema took it before Miranda, then shielded him with his body, back to goal, and laid it back to Di Maria at the top-left of the D.
The Argentine steadied with his left foot, glanced at the area and the goal, then struck through it.
Skimming off the turf, the ball flew low into the bottom-left corner at great speed.
Atletico keeper Asenjo had been on the right side of his goal. He was moving across and diving as the shot came in, but he could not reach it.
The ball nestled in the bottom-left corner.
"Goallllllllllllllllllll!"
"In the 86th minute, Real Madrid score again, 3-0!"
"There is no suspense left in this match!"
"Real Madrid have sealed the win, 3-0."
Real Madrid fans all over the Stadium of Light rose to their feet, roaring.
In front of the home bench, Gao Shen was so excited after Di Maria's goal that he leapt up, pumped his right fist, and shouted again and again.
3-0.
Real Madrid have won.
It was hard-fought, but they won and completed an unprecedented treble.
This is the first treble in Spanish history.
More importantly, Gao Shen was now overflowing with confidence in his team.
With an unbeaten league season, a successful defense of the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey, he could hardly imagine who could stop his Galácticos in the next few years.
Aside from time and aging, who can prevent Real Madrid from building their own peak dynasty?
Gao Shen felt a surge of ambition. He roared, turned, and hugged Zidane, Hierro, Carlo, Buenaventura, Pintus, and the others one by one, thanking them for their hard work.
"Next, let's dominate European football together!" Gao Shen shouted confidently.
(To be continued.)