Real Madrid's away victory over Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals greatly excited Real Madrid fans.
This season has seen many setbacks, including internal conflicts and a change of Head Coach, so it can be said that the internal situation was very bad.
Even the fans felt the slightly oppressive atmosphere through many matches, not to mention the players.
However, Real Madrid adjusted quickly, and the high-level management was very efficient in handling matters.
Nevertheless, the current Real Madrid still has some issues compared to last season's dominance, especially the midfield's reorganization, which slightly worried the fans.
But in this match, Kroos's breakthrough performance against Pirlo made them all extremely happy.
If Kroos maintains this form, he will certainly become a midfield master in the future.
Of course, he also needs to continue to improve.
"This match was a huge challenge and a self-breakthrough for me. As a player, when facing pressure, you must break through yourself. If you can't break through, you won't grow. I played very confidently in this match, but I can't say I'm satisfied. Therefore, I still need to continue to improve!"
Kroos's words were sincere, and his attitude was extremely humble.
Compared to some overly arrogant Europeans, German players, or those with an East German background, are generally more humble.
Soon, a reporter tried to trap Kroos.
"The current Real Madrid has a significant difference in tactical system compared to last season. Between Mourinho's tactics and the current tactics, which one do you prefer?"
Kroos subconsciously wanted to answer, but Suker, who was being interviewed by other media nearby, heard the reporter's tricky question and immediately went over and said:
"Let me answer this question."
Suker patted Kroos's shoulder, and the latter handed the microphone directly to him.
Suker took the microphone and said loudly: "There is no such thing as preferring one over the other. We are professional players. We play according to how the coaching staff arranges it. A healthy team must be united, so no matter what tactic it is, we will accept it."
"Of course, to be fair, we like to express ourselves, but we don't like to lose, so any tactic that can bring us victory is a good tactic!"
Suker's words affirmed the coaching staffs from both periods.
The words were not overly eloquent, but they also prevented the media from finding any fault.
After speaking, Suker directly pulled Kroos away.
"They were setting a trap for you!"
Walking into the players' tunnel, Suker said to Kroos.
The latter nodded: "I know, so I was thinking of answering more subtly."
"Just be careful!" Suker nodded.
As soon as the two entered the locker room, Pirlo also finished his interview and walked in.
"You go back first!"
Suker waved to Kroos and walked straight towards Pirlo.
Pirlo was a little down, after all, no one is happy after losing.
"You seemed a bit off in the second half!" Suker handed him an energy drink.
Pirlo looked up at Suker, and he still reached out to take the energy drink and took a sip, saying; "The pressure in the second half was too great, and I made some wrong decisions."
"He's good, isn't he?" Suker asked with a smile.
Pirlo couldn't help but smile: "You always have top-tier midfielders around you!"
During his time at Milan, he had himself to protect him.
In the early days of Real Madrid, there was also Xabi Alonso.
Alonso + Kaka at their peak also performed excellently.
Now, one of them has left and the other is injured, and yet another incredibly talented German has emerged.
For a top midfielder, it is rare to find a top striker who perfectly complements them.
And for a striker, similarly, the support of a top midfielder is needed.
Many technically gifted strikers play as both father and mother on the field simply because they lack support from the midfield and defense.
But Suker seems to have never encountered such a situation; he is never short of top-tier midfielders by his side.
"Congratulations to you, but in the next leg, we will also continue to push hard!" Pirlo said.
Suker shrugged: "Next leg, we're at home, it'll be even harder for you."
Pirlo curled his lips, 'I just made a cool statement, do you really have to refute it?'
He really hasn't changed at all, he doesn't want to lose even a single word!
After bidding farewell, the two returned to their respective locker rooms.
Juventus lost the match, and they quietly left home.
Real Madrid also traveled through the night, flying directly back to Spain.
By the time they arrived at the training base, it was already around 11 PM.
Leidup and Zidane did not hold a summary meeting, but instead told the players to go home and rest, and everything would be discussed tomorrow.
The next day, the news of Real Madrid's victory over Juventus spread throughout Europe.
Many people believed that this season's Juventus was very strong.
After all, the former Bianconeri should not be underestimated, especially for some older fans who still remember the era when the Serie A Seven Sisters dominated the Champions League.
But the match result was still Real Madrid taking the victory with their tenacity.
In this match, Suker was still the undisputed Man of the Match, but the biggest surprise and unexpected development was Kroos's self-breakthrough.
Facing Pirlo, he held his own, especially at this stage, which was a very difficult thing to do.
Toni Kroos, despite having played for Bayern Munich and being a German international.
However, his reputation within the team was not significant; he was somewhat like a transparent person. Even with great talent, without the support of corresponding tactical resources, he couldn't perform.
It wasn't until this match that Kroos broke through, making himself thoroughly remembered by Europe.
For Kroos, this breakthrough also made him breathe a sigh of relief.
Kroos also understood that this timing was exactly his opportunity.
In the current Real Madrid, Alonso has left, Kaka is injured, and he has been forced into the role of midfield orchestrator.
Under normal development, he would have had to wait until Kaka's form declined to get a chance to play.
Therefore, facing this opportunity, Kroos had to seize it.
Fortunately, he performed well and broke through himself. He showed Real Madrid his value and also lived up to Suker's expectations for him.
All of this made Kroos very excited, as if everything was finally on the right track.
Of course, Kroos's breakout also caused some public relations issues for Bayern Munich.
Some Bayern Munich fans were questioning why Kroos was allowed to leave.
However, Bayern Munich did not respond directly to this, nor did Kroos address the topic.
Kroos held resentment towards Bayern Munich!
If it had been according to his original plan, he would have played for Bayern Munich until he retired.
However, Bayern Munich never respected him, didn't give him opportunities, and wouldn't give him treatment commensurate with his performance.
It can be said that if Kroos had stayed at Bayern Munich, he would either have been worn down or purged.
For this reason, after a series of differential treatments, Kroos finally decided to leave the incompatible Bayern Munich and join Real Madrid.
He was very happy here, and he could also get enough tactical resource support, even respect!
Of course, Kroos also wanted revenge!
However, revenge isn't just talk, but a thoroughly satisfying victory.
But he believed it wasn't the right time yet, so he decided to settle down and wait for the opportunity to arise.
Real Madrid had a day off the next day.
After a leisurely day, Real Madrid players Benzema, Bale, Kroos, Marcelo, and Di Maria gathered at Suker's villa in the evening.
Even Kaka came over.
They would watch tonight's Champions League main event together.
Bayern Munich vs. Barcelona!
The direct confrontation between Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi!
Inside Suker's villa, everyone sat around, with some fried chicken in the middle.
Benzema picked up a piece of fried chicken from the breast area, used his fingers to peel off the surrounding skin and flour, and then put the tender white chicken breast into his mouth, chewing it with relish.
"I feel Bayern Munich has a better chance of winning!"
Everyone rolled their eyes in unison.
They didn't need him to say it; they already thought so.
Bayern Munich's performance this season has been too outstanding, too dominant.
Ten years of preparation, and significant investments finally yielded results.
In the previous Champions League round, Arsenal tried to play an attacking game against them and were completely dominated, passive throughout the entire match.
In every position, Bayern Munich's decisions were incredibly direct and efficient.
Coupled with Guardiola's imparting flexibility to the team's midfield, their overall combat power instantly doubled.
Cristiano Ronaldo was also thriving at Bayern Munich.
He was far ahead in the Bundesliga's top scorer list, having already scored 39 goals, more than both Suker and Messi.
It was as if Suker was catching up to Messi's insane scoring form from last season.
In the Champions League, this guy's scoring form was also impeccable, greatly improving Bayern Munich's scoring efficiency.
And when they faced Barcelona, their Head Coach was Guardiola.
Who is Guardiola?
He was the true cornerstone of Barcelona's Dream Team III dynasty, and it could be said that he knew everything from tactics to players like the back of his hand.
Facing such an opponent, Barcelona found it difficult to perform.
In the pre-match analysis, the media naturally favored Bayern Munich.
Soon, the game on television was about to begin.
"Here it comes!" Bale's spirits lifted as he looked at the TV.
Kroos also watched in silence; he, too, wanted to know how this Bayern team would play after he left.
But very quickly, they fell silent!
The TV lights flickered, and the excited voice of the German commentator filled the entire space.
The 90-minute match ended.
A surprising score appeared.
Bayern Munich 6:0 Barcelona!
Barcelona suffered a massacre on the road!
Looking at the crazy score, the Real Madrid players were all in disbelief.
Even with all their understanding, that was Barcelona!
That was a La Liga giant with stars like Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, and Fabregas.
They were actually clean-swept by Bayern Munich and had six goals scored against them.
In fact, after the second goal was scored, Barcelona's defense had almost completely collapsed.
Guardiola stood calmly on the sidelines, his gaze composed under the camera.
But it was with this calm demeanor that he, in front of the world, completely stripped bare his once-proud tactics and team.
In this match, Guardiola perfectly demonstrated Barcelona's collapse when their midfield and defense faced pressure due to their excessive focus on control.
Furthermore, there was Bayern Munich's rough yet refined playing style.
They constantly jumped in front of Barcelona's goal, continuously bombarding Barcelona's net with Mandžukić and Cristiano Ronaldo's powerful heading ability, ultimately producing a crazy 6:0 scoreline.
Barcelona, once a team that crushed countless giants and was hailed as the "Universe Team," suffered a Waterloo at Allianz Arena.
This also caused an uproar in all the commentary booths.
They knew Barcelona might lose, but not like this!
They were completely crushed!
They not only ignited the media but also silenced Real Madrid.
"Are they that strong?"
Benzema grinned.
They play against Barcelona every season, and they know that Barcelona's current form has indeed declined compared to their peak, but not to this extent.
Yet, Bayern Munich seemed to be able to create chances no matter how they played, advancing step by step, gradually eroding the rhythm, and finally collapsing Barcelona.
Barcelona played this match without any fight.
Even Messi rushed back to participate in defense, which shows how passive Barcelona was in this match.
And then there was Bayern Munich's performance.
Although Guardiola was very familiar with Barcelona, this Bundesliga hegemon was incredibly capable.
There wasn't a single mistake!
And when opportunities arose, they seized them precisely!
In this state, unless last season's Real Madrid were brought out, they might really get beaten.
In silence, they watched the next match: Borussia Dortmund away against Valencia.
Valencia was also a La Liga team, and their recent form was very good, consistently gaining points.
Then they conceded 3 goals at home to Borussia Dortmund, ultimately losing the home match 1:3.
Both La Liga teams succumbed to Bundesliga teams.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund consecutively overwhelmed two La Liga teams.
It could be said that in this round of matches, all La Liga teams except Real Madrid suffered a Waterloo.
More importantly, Borussia Dortmund's performance was much better than in the group stage.
It was as if a switch had been flipped, instantly transforming into a mad dog.
Under wave after wave of attacks, Valencia was directly submerged.
Two teams that relied on technical skill were completely overwhelmed by Germany's intense impact.
After the two matches, all of Europe was filled with news about these two games.
Of the three La Liga teams, excluding Real Madrid, the other two suffered defeats, and both were eliminated by German teams.
This led many media outlets to wildly proclaim that the La Liga era was over.
La Liga's tactics were outdated!
Technical football was overwhelmed by offensive football!
The tiki-taka football that Guardiola personally created was now personally destroyed by him!
Some overly excited Bayern fans even began to challenge Real Madrid.
Facing this challenge, Real Madrid fans responded fiercely, but their words lacked confidence!
They also saw Bayern Munich's form, and with the current Real Madrid, could they really defeat Bayern Munich?
It's not that it's impossible, but they had to admit that the match would be very difficult, and they would be very passive.
During this short period, Real Madrid was also studying Bayern Munich.
They were well aware that any team aiming for the Champions League title would have to overcome the hurdle of Bayern Munich.
If last season, Real Madrid was a mountain standing in front of the championship, then this season it had become Bayern Munich.
For Real Madrid, the only thing worth celebrating was that Barcelona was massacred.
And two days later, they would host the second leg of this season's El Clasico!
Barcelona's massacre in the Champions League would undoubtedly affect their mentality and morale.
This was also a good opportunity for Real Madrid to take advantage and equalize the points.
Real Madrid has also been studying Bayern Munich's match against Barcelona recently.
Broadly speaking, it was high pressing + crosses from the wings, then using the forwards' heading ability to continuously apply pressure.
Of course, this was the general direction, but there were certainly many more details.
Among them, Guardiola must have made specific technical arrangements targeting the characteristics of Barcelona's players, but Real Madrid had no way of knowing about this aspect.
Even if their technical department conducted a comprehensive analysis, they would find it very difficult to reverse-engineer Bayern Munich's technical approach.
Therefore, Real Madrid still needed to continue with their previous experience and play the match according to their own tactics.
As the La Liga match day drew closer, the atmosphere within Spain became increasingly tense.
Catalonia was almost going crazy.
Barcelona's continuous sluggish performance during this period was something they could not accept.
Even in their most dominant period, Real Madrid had steadily suppressed them.
And now, they had forgotten the feeling of winning against Real Madrid.
Since 2009, their best result had been a draw!
In almost every major competition, they had not beaten Real Madrid once, which filled them with immense grief and indignation.
For this, they bought many players for restructuring, but ultimately failed.
A group of fans believed that the problem between Real Madrid and Barcelona was with the top-tier players' performance.
That is, in the confrontation between Messi and Suker, Messi did not gain an advantage, and facing Suker's strong outburst, Barcelona could not hold on.
Combined with the fact that during this period, in every crucial match, Messi could not step up at critical moments like Suker, this also led Barcelona fans to start putting public pressure on Messi.
When a team loses too much, problems naturally arise.
It can be said that Barcelona has held on until now with great difficulty, and if they lose again this time, or even lose their three-point advantage, they really won't be able to tolerate it anymore.
Even the club president would have to take the blame and face impeachment and protests.
The atmosphere on Real Madrid's side was not much lighter.
The insane performances of the past two seasons had already spoiled the Real Madrid fans' appetites.
And this season, they had held on in many fronts, but they always felt that something was missing.
One wrong move could lead to everything falling apart, so their worries and pressure were also immense.
Now, both sides are under pressure, preparing for this crucial top-of-the-table clash!