"Goalllllllllllllllll!"
"Mbappé!!"
"A brace!"
"The French prodigy from Leeds United has torn through Barcelona's defense with two lightning-fast counterattacks!"
"He's so fast!"
"No one in Barcelona's backline could stop him!"
"Let's look at the slow-motion replay. Leeds United's entire buildup was brilliant. Milinkovic-Savic received the ball with his back to goal and laid it off to Bruno Fernandes."
"Barcelona's defensive line was too high, leaving huge spaces behind, giving Mbappé the perfect chance to showcase his speed."
"This is reminiscent of the France vs. Argentina match in the World Cup."
"Mbappé thrives in situations like this. Whether it's long runs or explosive dribbles, this is where he's at his best."
"2-0, and Barcelona are now in serious trouble."
The live broadcast camera cut to the touchline, focusing on Barcelona head coach Valverde.
It was clear that the moment Mbappé scored, Valverde turned away in agony, covering his face and shaking his head, clearly devastated by the goal.
Conceding two goals in a row at Camp Nou was unacceptable.
Before this match, both the Catalan media and Barcelona's fans had been overflowing with confidence and fighting spirit.
Especially after Vardy's injury, Barcelona's confidence had soared.
But no one expected that Leeds United wouldn't be affected by Vardy's absence. Instead, they surprised everyone by introducing Milinkovic-Savic in the false nine role, a tactical adjustment that stunned everyone.
Milinkovic-Savic was not a newcomer. On the contrary, he had been well-known in the Premier League for some time and had performed consistently for Leeds United. But it was only this season that he truly broke out.
The reason was that after Leeds United sold several key players in the summer, they adjusted their entire tactical structure, elevating Milinkovic-Savic's importance within the squad.
And tonight, under the lights of Camp Nou, he had become a vital tactical piece in Leeds United's system.
The worst part for Barcelona was that they were completely unprepared for this.
…
"2-0," Gao Shen muttered to himself, then shook his head. "We still need to work harder."
"You're still not satisfied?" UEFA's football director Boban laughed when he heard that.
"This is Barcelona," Gao Shen replied calmly. "This is Camp Nou. The moment you feel satisfied, you're already close to failure."
Boban thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Right now, Leeds United were playing freely while Barcelona struggled, but if Leeds became complacent, everything could flip in an instant. Barcelona could seize control, and Leeds United would suddenly find themselves under siege.
Do you really think that players like Messi, Felipe Anderson, Agüero, and Coutinho are just bystanders?
Once Barcelona finds their rhythm, they can unleash wave after wave of relentless attacks, and Leeds United would be in serious danger.
Modern football is no longer about individual brilliance. It is entirely system-driven.
Even a player as great as Messi must operate within a functioning system to be effective.
Once Barcelona's system starts running smoothly, Leeds United's advantage could disappear instantly.
"In the first half, that's exactly how it should go," Gao Shen analyzed confidently. "Pochettino must hold the defensive line and not drop back too deep in the second half. If he becomes conservative, the advantage they've worked so hard for will vanish."
Two goals were nothing to a team like Barcelona. They could turn it around in just a few minutes.
…
While the intense battle at Camp Nou continued, in the president's office of Real Madrid's headquarters north of Valdebebas in Madrid, Florentino Pérez was also watching the match.
Gathered around him were CEO José Sánchez, Butragueño, vice-chairman Tapias, Valdano, and Zidane.
They were all focused on the game.
Every so often, the camera panned across the Camp Nou stands, showing Gao Shen chatting and laughing with UEFA President Ceferin.
He looked to be in excellent spirits.
But that only made the atmosphere in Real Madrid's office heavier.
Because just last night, in Moscow, Real Madrid had suffered a 0-1 away defeat to CSKA Moscow.
They had already lost 0-3 away to Sevilla, 0-1 at home to Atlético Madrid, and now 0-1 away to CSKA Moscow. While there was some element of chance in those defeats, most of it reflected deeper, systemic problems.
And those problems were very serious.
Even worse, their tenth league fixture would be an away match at Camp Nou.
Given Real Madrid's current state, could they even handle Barcelona?
"Actually, if you look at Leeds United's match, Barcelona's form doesn't look that great either," Tapias said, trying to sound optimistic.
"Yes, the World Cup had a huge impact. Our players are generally not in good condition. It's not just us, Barcelona also—"
Before José Sánchez could finish, Florentino interrupted.
"But Mbappé is in great form and just scored twice."
José Sánchez immediately fell silent.
There was simply no comparison.
Last season, Real Madrid also had a poor first half. They even lost twice to Leeds United in the Champions League group stage.
Even the Real Madrid board had considered dismissing him. Though Florentino, Butragueño, and José Sánchez supported Gao Shen, many directors doubted him.
Florentino, despite his authority, didn't wield absolute power. He could make decisions for the club, but not over the board.
It was unbelievable, but why didn't Gao Shen get fired in the end?
Because he made it clear he would never resign voluntarily. If Real Madrid wanted him gone, they'd have to pay an enormous termination fee.
Eventually, the board compromised and allowed him to stay until the end of the season.
Who could have predicted that Gao Shen would lead the team to two trophies — La Liga and the Champions League?
Looking back, Florentino, Sánchez, and everyone else had to admit that the difficult start to that season stemmed from their failure to support Gao Shen in the 2017 summer transfer window, which disrupted the team's renewal process.
Now, in the new season, Real Madrid were struggling again. Their form in La Liga was poor, they were faltering in the Champions League, and internal conflicts were mounting.
Benítez had not spoken to several core players for a long time. There was no communication, which was deeply alarming.
Both teams had players who participated in the World Cup, so why were Leeds United's players thriving while Real Madrid's were declining?
Under Gao Shen, whether during the 2014 World Cup or the 2016 Euros, Real Madrid had never been in such disarray.
"What if, I mean if, we can't beat Barcelona in the tenth round?" Florentino asked quietly.
In recent seasons, Gao Shen had never lost to Barcelona, not even at Camp Nou.
Losing to Barcelona had become almost unthinkable for Real Madrid fans.
Gao Shen had raised their expectations to an impossible standard.
It was unfair to his successors, but it was also reality.
Valdano and Zidane both stayed silent, knowing how difficult the situation was.
Florentino's gaze swept across the room and settled on Zidane.
"Zinedine, have you thought about what I mentioned to you earlier?"
At that moment, the halftime whistle blew at Camp Nou, drawing everyone's attention to Zidane.
The Frenchman gave a helpless smile, rubbed his bald head, and said, "I'm not sure I can do better than Benítez."
Everyone fell silent.
But after a moment's thought, it made sense.
Zidane's status and reputation were immense, but among Real Madrid's current players, who didn't have a legendary status of their own?
With so many Champions League and La Liga titles between them, managing that dressing room was one of the hardest jobs in football.
Even world-class coaches like Ancelotti had tried to avoid it. Who would willingly risk their legacy at the Bernabéu?
As long as you stayed out, you could preserve your image. But once you stepped in, you could easily end up like Benítez.
In today's football world, who else besides Gao Shen did these players truly respect?
But Gao Shen was gone, part of the past now.
Real Madrid had to look forward, toward the future — the post-professional era.
"We must fully support Rafa and stabilize the team at all costs," Florentino said firmly. "Both the league and the Champions League are our lifelines. The away match against Barcelona is crucial. We must, at the very least, avoid defeat."
Many times, once fans' anger is ignited, even Florentino, as president, has to act decisively.
Ultimately, though he held immense power, his authority came from Real Madrid's members.
He was a servant of Real Madrid, a representative of its board.
Florentino refused to believe that under his leadership, Real Madrid would fall into decline like Manchester United.
As long as he was in charge, Real Madrid would never become the next Manchester United.
Never.
(To be continued.)