Barcelona's performance in the match became increasingly passive.
Messi was constantly rubbing his ankle, almost stopping to rub it every few steps, indicating that the injury was gradually worsening.
The Barcelona coaching staff also had a look of helplessness on their faces.
This match was played under too much strain; the unexpected incident in the Champions League severely reduced their combat strength, and their morale also suffered a significant blow.
Playing against Real Madrid at this time, they collectively seemed to forget how to play football.
In the 41st minute, Real Madrid launched a corner kick.
"Di Maria takes the corner kick."
González drew out his words, and the camera instantly shifted to inside the penalty area.
Suker suddenly burst forward, shaking off Alves next to him, and lunged forward with all his might.
"Alves has been shaken off! Suker!"
Suker leaped up fiercely.
Jumping off one foot, he stood out among the crowd like a crane among chickens.
At this moment, the entire Bernabéu stadium erupted.
He kept his eyes fixed on the ball, and as it was about to touch his forehead, he used his waist to withstand the impact and flicked his head.
Swish!
The ball went into the net!
Real Madrid scored another goal in the first half, leading Barcelona by two goals.
Roar!!!!!!!!!!—
After landing, Suker suddenly rushed towards the corner flag, excitedly pointing to the stands.
The Real Madrid fans in the stands also burst into fierce cheers.
The entire stadium was in a state of extreme excitement.
"Suker!! Goal!!!!"
"Real Madrid leads by two goals!!"
After yelling, González immediately shook his head and said, "Alves couldn't keep up with Suker! Although it was only a momentary shake-off, once that shake-off occurred, it became very difficult to catch up with Suker. Suker scored with almost no one limiting him, extending the lead!"
"If Barcelona still can't adjust their state, this match is very likely to end in failure."
The Barcelona players were all panting heavily; although it was only the first half, it had already consumed a lot of their physical energy.
Messi was also breathing heavily; he truly felt he couldn't hold on anymore. Although his ankle was already fixed, it was still throbbing with pain.
His eyes also revealed a hint of helplessness.
The loss in the previous match and his inability to perform in this match made him extremely self-reproachful.
The match quickly entered halftime.
Real Madrid continued to plan their tactics for the second half; there wasn't much tactical change. As long as the tactics were effective, they didn't need to change them.
However, Zidane was also predicting the tactical approaches Barcelona might employ.
But this is where a Head Coach's experience comes into play.
Mourinho could come up with multiple tactical approaches for different situations, available for reference.
But Zidane could only manage to come up with one, and it didn't sound very reliable.
Fortunately, they stopped guessing and decided to adapt as the game unfolded.
Although they couldn't predict the tactics, Barcelona's situation was indeed very bad.
When Real Madrid came out, they found that Messi had been substituted, perhaps because his ankle injury truly couldn't hold on any longer.
Sanchez came on as a substitute.
And Fabregas moved to Messi's original position.
Suker saw Fabregas's expression was extremely gloomy.
It's imaginable that Fabregas felt terrible.
The central midfielder position he wanted had not materialized!
Instead, he had become a 'tailor' who patched things up; wherever there was a problem in the lineup, he had to play there!
To put it nicely, he was a jack-of-all-trades!
To put it less nicely, he had no fixed position and was gradually becoming marginalized.
When this type of player encounters a change in Head Coach and tactical shifts, they are most likely to be discarded.
After all, you don't have your own position; although you can play multiple positions, it means you can't fully integrate into the team.
After losing Messi, Fabregas began to take charge of the attacking work.
But perhaps being in a fit of pique, his playing style was very aggressive and not calm enough.
At the start of the second half, he clashed with Ramos, and the two almost came to blows.
Fabregas received a yellow card for this.
After that, Barcelona's state worsened.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to relentlessly counter-attack, finally scoring two goals in the 54th and 76th minutes respectively.
Suker and the substitute Bale scored the goals.
The match score was also set at 4:0.
The 90-minute match ended, and Real Madrid ultimately won this La Liga Matchday 30 game.
They defeated Barcelona 4:0 at home!
Barcelona seemed to be completely stunned!
This week, in two matches, they conceded ten goals!
They were massacred by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, conceding six goals.
IIn the League, they also lost to Real Madrid, conceding four goals.
With only eight rounds remaining until the end of the League, Barcelona's situation is precarious.
If they don't adjust well, they might be overtaken by Real Madrid in the final stages of the season and lose the League Championship again.
In La Liga Matchday 30, Real Madrid secured a victory, closing the points gap and officially entering the title race.
Currently, Real Madrid and Barcelona are tied on points, competing for the La Liga title.
But besides them, Simeone's Atletico Madrid is also eyeing the championship position with a 5-point difference.
It can be said that neither Real Madrid nor Barcelona can afford to be complacent.
They each have the pressure of the Champions League and Copa del Rey matches.
But Atletico Madrid only has the League, going all-in, naturally as if aided by a god.
Atletico Madrid is now like a jackal, staring intently at Real Madrid and Barcelona on the throne, preparing to break the two-pole situation in La Liga and formally establish a third pole.
After the League ends, Real Madrid will immediately prepare for the second leg of the Champions League.
Entering the end of the season, the Champions League schedule also becomes tighter.
There is only one week between the first and second legs of the Quarter-Finals.
Therefore, after playing Barcelona, Real Madrid must immediately prepare for the second leg of the Champions League at home.
However, with the experience of the first match, they are also more confident.
Buzz buzz buzz.
The sound of the treadmill belt filled the entire gym.
Suker, shirtless and covered in various gears, was undergoing a physical examination.
As he ran, Suker's muscles seemed to bounce, full of resilience.
Compared to half a season ago, Suker's muscle definition had a slight difference.
Previously, his muscles showed more explosive power and clearer definition, but now that feeling has slightly faded, yet it appears more natural.
This is also the result of Suker adding flexibility training.
After running for a while, Suker leaned his hands on the handles, placed his feet on the side footrests, and turned his head to ask, "How is it?"
"Tsk tsk!"
Perotti exclaimed in wonder, "Your body's recovery ability is too strong, just like a 16 or 17-year-old. How do you keep your body so vibrant?"
Suker rolled his eyes: "Get to the point!"
Perotti smiled: "The effect is very good, I think you've felt it too. The trend of muscle stiffness has eased, and it has even regained some elasticity. Your yoga coach is very responsible; have you thought about giving her a raise?"
Suker retorted, displeased: "You two just got a raise two months ago!"
Perotti slapped his forehead: "I forgot! Alright, let's get back to business!"
"Let's talk about your body. Training still needs to be maintained, but you can appropriately resume some strength training. But it's still the same: after strength training, you absolutely cannot relax on flexibility training. It wasn't easy to stop the process of muscle stiffness; you wouldn't want all that effort to go to waste, would you?"
"Also, one more thing: as your muscle mass decreases, your speed and explosiveness will inevitably be affected. This might prevent you from sprinting as fast as before."
Suker nodded; there are always gains and losses, and he had considered these things.
However, a decline in double speed takes some time, and Suker doesn't particularly rely on the advantage of double speed when playing matches now.
For Suker, the key was how to harmonize the various functions of his body and extend his peak condition without using attribute cards.
And when it comes to using attribute cards, it would probably be after he turns 30, when his physical functions significantly decline.
Suker took off the patches on his body, preparing to take a shower.
As soon as he walked out of the gym, his phone rang.
"Suker! Have you seen the latest National Team call-up list?"
Pranjic's excited voice came from the phone.
Suker said with a smile, "I saw it! Congratulations, Daniel, on being selected for the National Team again."
"We can fight side by side again!" Pranjic said excitedly; "I feel like I made the right decision. I'm gradually recovering my form here, and I will perform even better."
Suker smiled and offered a few words of encouragement.
In the latest National Team call-up list, Pranjic was once again selected for the National Team.
This was his return to the National Team after a year's absence.
Due to injuries and a significant drop in form, Pranjic had been dropped by the National Team.
Bešić was very decisive in this regard; even for disciples he discovered and nurtured, if their form wasn't good, he would drop them.
This season, Dinamo Zagreb entered the Champions League group stage and finished third in their group, qualifying for the Europa League.
Under a series of performances, Pranjic's form and confidence had recovered significantly, and his overall performance was also very good, meeting the requirements for returning to the National Team.
Moreover, the World Cup was approaching!
Bešić indeed needed these experienced veterans to steady the ship.
Even if it was just to deepen the bench, he would do it.
Suker chatted with Pranjic for a while, and he was also happy for Pranjic.
Suker truly did not want these friends to start falling behind one by one.
Although this might be an unstoppable trend, he still hoped they could all participate in the 2014 World Cup together.
After all, for Srna, Pranjic, Dujmović, and others, they were too old, and this might be their last World Cup.
Suker still wanted to lift a World Cup trophy with these old teammates.
"Phew~~~"
Suker hung up the phone and let out a long sigh of relief.
His mood also brightened considerably; after the rain comes the sun. Life has its lows, but precisely because of this, when the sun shines brightly, it feels so radiant.
The next day, Suker arrived at the training base.
He was pleasantly surprised to find that Kaka was also in the locker room.
"Good morning!"
Kaka smiled and greeted Suker.
Suker leaned over and rubbed Kaka's knee: "Recovering well?"
Kaka nodded with a smile: "The doctor said I can start rehabilitation training. Although I might not make it for the upcoming matches, I need to adjust my form."
Soon, fitness coach Pintus walked in and went straight to Kaka.
"This is the rehabilitation training plan I've set for you, but the most crucial part is to lose weight!"
Compared to before his illness, Kaka had gained more than just a little weight.
He needed to lose weight first, then combine it with rehabilitation training to gradually activate his physical functions and form.
Kaka was very familiar with this mode.
Not every player is an iron man like Suker.
Kaka's return brought a joyful atmosphere to the club.
Kaka had a good relationship with his teammates at Real Madrid, and the players were also very concerned about Kaka's injury.
Of course, there were also those like Kroos who were a bit nervous.
After all, he and Kaka were in competition, and he had to adjust his form to the best before Kaka, so that even after Kaka's return, he would not give up the ball control.
Kaka underwent individual rehabilitation training, while the other players were preparing for the Champions League Quarter-Final second leg in two days.
As long as they won this match, they would advance to the Champions League Semi-Final!
Although the difficulty increased the further they went, Real Madrid also needed to withstand the pressure.
Two days passed in a flash.
Champions League struck again.
The continuous major battles were greatly draining Real Madrid's energy and stamina.
Many players showed problems with concentration during matches, easily losing focus.
This was also a problem with form adjustment.
Even Suker, while playing, sometimes felt a bit dazed.
However, Suker had rich experience and muscle memory, so sometimes, even if his brain didn't react, his body could instinctively respond.
But not everyone is Suker.
After Real Madrid's crazy performances in the past two seasons and fighting on multiple fronts continuously, their energy levels were indeed struggling to keep up.
This was why they were constantly yawning, feeling like they could never get enough sleep.
But this problem could not be solved through training; they could only rest well.
However, this could only wait until the holidays. Under the current circumstances, they could only push through and force themselves to stay energized.
In the Champions League Quarter-Final second leg, Real Madrid faced Juventus at home.
This match was also a huge challenge for Juventus.
If they couldn't overcome this hurdle, they wouldn't be able to advance further in the Champions League.
Real Madrid also had the upper hand in Champions League experience and ability, so Juventus could only rely on fighting now.
Under the night sky, the Bernabéu Stadium was lit up.
Under the magnificent lights, hundreds of thousands of fans gathered here to cheer for their home team.
After winning the Champions League consecutively, Real Madrid encountered many problems this season, but they still showed astonishing combat power in the Champions League.
One more step would be the Champions League Semi-Final, so the fans also showed even greater enthusiasm.
The starting lineups for both sides were as follows:
Real Madrid (4-3-3):
Goalkeeper: Diego López.
Defenders: Srna, Pepe, Varane, Ramos.
Midfielders: Casemiro, Cruz, Khedira.
Forwards: Bale, Benzema, Suker.
Juventus (3-5-2):
Goalkeeper: Buffon.
Defenders: Caceres, Barzagli, Chiellini.
Midfielders: Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Peluso.
Forwards: Matri, Quagliarella.
"Conte's Juventus still deployed a 3-5-2 formation, but made some personnel changes. In midfield, they replaced young French player Pogba with the more experienced Vidal, and in the center-back position, Bonucci was out of this leg due to injury, which is not good news for Juventus."
Suker also looked at Juventus's formation.
One could only say that Conte was truly stubborn!
Even though Real Madrid had put so much pressure on their defense in the previous leg, they still deployed a three-center-back formation in this match.
Of course, he might also feel that it didn't work, but Suker really found it relatively easier to play against such a three-center-back system.
As long as their midfield didn't collapse, Suker could repeatedly attack Juventus's goal until he scored.
At the same time, Real Madrid deployed the attacking combination of Suker, Benzema, and Bale.
This was also why Zidane intended to further test and consolidate the attacking combination after the last League match.
Players from both sides stood in their respective halves, waiting for the match to begin.
The atmosphere gradually became tense.
Pirlo took a deep breath, his gaze fixed forward, with a hint of solemnity in his eyes.
In the last match, they had already seen the tenacity of Suker and Real Madrid, so they needed to play more proactively in this match.
And how to play a proactive game, this was a test of the midfield's ability.
Although he didn't want to say it, Juventus's attack could not be compared with Real Madrid's.
One Suker was enough to give them a hard time!
Pirlo had a very deep understanding of this old teammate.
Therefore, relying solely on the attack would not gain the initiative; only the midfield could provide continuous pressure.
Moreover, as the core of Juventus's midfield, Pirlo would certainly have to perform even better.
Only then would they have a chance to defeat Real Madrid!
Overall, the match would be very difficult, but they would still rise to the challenge.
Beep!
A sharp whistle sounded.
The match began.
After the match started, Juventus kicked off first, and Real Madrid immediately pressed into their half, engaging in fierce pressing.
Juventus, relying on their numerical advantage in midfield and Pirlo's organization, continuously passed the ball.
Pirlo also looked forward, searching for passing lanes.
However...
Pirlo glanced at Kroos, who was following him closely.
'This German! So annoying!'